And Everything in Between
by Kordy
Summary: --COMPLETE-- Tara and Dawn go on vacation and end up at Hogwarts.
1. Gaining an Ally

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon and Co., Harry belongs to J. K. Rowling.  
  
Pairings: Shades of B/S, T/W, X/A, G/A, and T/Sev later on.  
  
This takes place in season 6 Buffy and book 3 Harry. I've taken some liberties with age.Also, there's a reason this isn't in the Tara pairings section. I won't get to that for awhile, though.  
  
Rating: PG-13 overall.  
  
Chapter 1: Gaining an Ally  
  
"Hey Anya." Tara said in greeting as she walked into the Magic Box.  
  
Anya glanced up from the ledger she was poring over, obviously distracted.  
  
Tara made her way over to the counter, her long blue skirt slightly swishing in her wake. She studied the woman behind the counter, who was mumbling to herself as well as, Tara noted, blonde this week.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Tara asked quietly, concern etched on her face, "a store related problem?"  
  
Anya finally closed the book, giving Tara her full attention. "No, the money is fine. This wedding is turning out to be a lot more work than I was planning for though. And, of course, I have to go out of town right in the middle of planning the decorations for the reception. If I leave Xander in charge, they'll end up being all wrong."  
  
"Oh, of course," Tara replied, unsure of how she was expected to react to wedding related dilemmas.  
  
Anya finally seemed to realize that Tara was actually at the counter, as her entire demeanor suddenly shifted.  
  
"Can I sell you something expensive today?" she asked, pasting a large smile on her face and doing her best to look helpful.  
  
Tara smiled back. "Um, no, actually I was looking for Dawn. She left me a message to meet her here."  
  
Anya's smile dropped from her face as their conversation was interrupted by the shop door flying open. A billow of smoke poured into the room, surrounding what the two blondes assumed was a blanketed Spike. Their suspicions were quickly confirmed when said vampire dropped his blanket onto a nearby chair and tried to look like catching fire was a normal occurrence for him. Which, when they thought about it, it was.  
  
"Demongirl, Glinda," Spike nodded in acknowledgment, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his duster pocket and searching for a lighter.  
  
Anya jumped out from behind the counter, grabbing the cigarette out of Spike's mouth and tossing it into a nearby trash can.  
  
"There's no smoking in the store, Spike. It bothers the customers, and then they leave without giving me their money."  
  
"Also, it's illegal in California," Tara added, amused at Spike's look of irritation. A few seconds later, it had turned into a full-on pout.  
  
Anya just rolled her eyes.  
  
Finally, Spike gave in, putting his cigarettes back into his pocket and dropping into the chair his blanket was resting on.  
  
"Fine, but only 'cuz you're paying me."  
  
"Paying you?" Tara asked.  
  
"Spike is covering for me while I'm gone. It's only for a few days, and he has no reason to steal anything, since he doesn't do magic." Anya informed her.  
  
"Oh." replied Tara with a questioning look.  
  
"Hey," Spike said, a bit offended, "just 'cuz I'm evil doesn't mean I'm irresponsible. And since I'm being paid, I've got no reason to do anything to the customers 'sides maybe picking up a few birds. They like the responsible shopkeeper look sometimes, right?"  
  
"Plus, Buffy's training in the back room every day." Tara added, smiling.  
  
"Well, yeah." Spike mumbled, suddenly finding one of the books lying on the table extremely interesting.  
  
"No funny business in the store," said Anya as she ducked behind the counter, searching for something. "If I'm not having orgasms in the back room, no one else is either."  
  
Tara cringed, "And with that, I'll go look for Dawn in said room and try not to picture any of that imagery."  
  
She heard Spike chuckle softly as she headed to the training room. As soon as she stepped through the door, she was deafened by Dawn's loud squeal. It was shrill enough to cause her to flinch and jump back a bit.  
  
"Dawnie!" Buffy shouted as said teenager bounced up and down and continued to emit the almost inhuman noise of delight.  
  
The small blonde slayer sighed loudly as her sister kept the bouncing up for another minute before realizing that someone had entered the room. Dawn turned her attention to Tara, and suddenly her joy faltered a bit, and was replaced with a slightly nervous smile.  
  
"Er, hi," Tara finally said in greeting, after she was certain the squealing was finished for the moment.  
  
Dawn waved in return, and then turned expectantly back to Buffy.  
  
"Hey Dawnie, how about you give me a minute to talk to Tara alone," said Buffy, quelling her sister's excitement completely.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Dawn mumbled as she trudged back into the main shop area.  
  
As soon as the door closed, Buffy turned to a curious Tara. She motioned for them to sit on the nearby sofa, plopping down as Tara gathered her skirt and gracefully lowered herself onto the middle cushion.  
  
Buffy hesitated a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then launched into an explanation.  
  
"So, you know how you told me you were going on a vacation of sorts, right?"  
  
She paused briefly, letting Tara wonder for a moment if this wasn't a rhetorical question, but then continued before she could answer.  
  
"The thing is, it's been really hard for Dawn lately. I mean, she thinks I'm just ignoring her half the time, but I do notice. I think she needs something else for a while. Besides a hellmouth, that is."  
  
Tara nodded in understanding. "So you want me to take her on vacation."  
  
"Well yeah, I mean, only if it's not too much trouble, you know. I wouldn't- "  
  
Tara cut the Slayer off with a touch on her shoulder. "I would love to, Buffy."  
  
Buffy studied Tara for a moment, then, seemingly satisfied with the hint of excitement she found there, suddenly smiled a bit tiredly at her.  
  
She turned to the door, shouting, "Dawn, you can come back in now!"  
  
The door flew open, and the tall brunette was hugging Tara enthusiastically before they could even register her entrance.  
  
Thank you thank you thank you!" Dawn squealed, beginning her bouncing again, "we're gonna have SO much fun!"  
  
Just as quickly as she entered, Dawn ran back into the shop, to tell Spike the news, Tara presumed. A presumption that was confirmed by Dawn's excited words a moment later, punctuated by Spike's pained laugh.  
  
"I don't envy him his advanced hearing," Tara said, turning to Buffy to work out the details. 


	2. Conversations in Limbo

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my 1 reviewer so far. Review Chart.Good: 1, Evil: 0.  
  
The HP part will pop up eventually, I promise. Just be ready for this to be a long one.  
  
Chapter 3 will be up in about a week.  
  
Chapter 2: Conversations in Limbo  
  
A week later found Tara, Dawn, and a pretty brunette introduced to Dawn as Tara's friend, "Jennifer from Art History". At first the ride to LA had been a little on the tense side, but once Dawn found out that not only was Jennifer not dating Tara, but she also had a very male fiancé waiting for her in the City of Angels (or the "City of Angel", as Willow often referred to it), the temperature in the vehicle thawed. The majority of the trip was spent playing "If I Could Sleep with One Celebrity, It Would Be" and singing along to Dawn's vast cd collection.  
  
After what seemed to Tara to be the five thousandth boy band ballad, they were hugging Jennifer goodbye and thanking her profusely for offering to drop them off at the airport. The check-in process took a total of twenty minutes, which left the two girls with over two hours of waiting time, assuming the flight wasn't delayed.  
  
They found their gate and surveyed the nearly empty seating area, finally plopping down into two plastic chairs.  
  
"Jennifer's cool," Dawn said, putting her backpack between her feet and trying to find a comfortable position on the hard chair.  
  
"Yeah, she is," Tara agreed, smiling a bit as two children ran by dragging miniature suitcases behind them.  
  
"It's surprising, you know."  
  
"What is?" asked Tara, getting the feeling that this was more than idle chitchat for Dawn.  
  
"Seeing any of you be friends with someone besides each other."  
  
"Oh. Well, I guess everyone tends to be kinda busy with more important things than just spending time with new friends."  
  
Dawn fidgeted in her seat, finally folding one of her long legs under her body and turning more fully toward Tara. "I think it's good."  
  
Tara looked at her quizzically.  
  
"Not that their stuff isn't important," added Dawn quickly, "It's just, I mean, it can't be good to get so caught up in only a few people. You lose perspective. Over the summer, when I only saw the same five people every day, I almost forgot that there are other people out there who don't know about hellmouths and demons and death."  
  
Tara smiled. "That's why Buffy wanted you to come with me. That's why I decided to go to Europe in the first place."  
  
"I just wish Buffy could do this. She's always so worried about me, but no one ever worries about her." Dawn said quietly, looking down at her hands.  
  
"I think she'll be okay," replied Tara, putting her arm around the younger girl and hugging her to her side, "she's the strongest person I've ever met."  
  
"Me too," was Dawn's muffled reply.  
  
They stayed that way for a few minutes as the seating area began to fill with travelers and the volume slowly increased around them, breaking into their morose moment. Finally Dawn sat up and pushed a lock of shiny brown hair behind her ear.  
  
"Are you going on this trip to get away from the hellmouth or from Willow?" she asked a bit nervously.  
  
Tara flinched, but refused to shy away from the topic. Dawn deserved some answers for once. She hesitated before answering.  
  
"Both, in a way."  
  
Dawn looked at Tara expectantly, waiting for her explanation. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
"What Willow did to me was awful, but that's not the only reason I left. She need to learn to control her emotions. The kind of magic we practice, especially on the Hellmouth, is very sensitive to emotion, and Willow never learned that. She sees it as an easy way to deal with those emotions, rather than dealing on her own. Then the magic starts to consume her and she uses it for unnecessary things."  
  
"Too much power too fast," Dawn interjected, nodding. "It corrupts. Especially if you factor in insecurity."  
  
"Well yeah." Tara had a look of surprise on her face.  
  
Dawn smiled ruefully. "Faith."  
  
Tara nodded. "Power, no control. Not a bad person, just bad choices."  
  
"I don't know about that," said Dawn, suddenly frowning, "Wait, there are other kinds of magic?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Oh. How come you didn't have the control problem?"  
  
"My mom taught me early on, or I might have eventually had Willow's problems with it. Although, I sometimes think personality has something to do with it. I certainly had the insecurity down pat."  
  
"But you found Willow. That's what helped you. You don't even stutter anymore."  
  
Tara smiled. "She helped me see that I was worth something." Her smile faded as she added, "I wish I could help her see that she is."  
  
The silence descended again until Dawn abruptly stretched and snickered at the same time.  
  
"Well, that was heavy." She said, bringing the smile back to Tara's face.  
  
"New rule," said Tara, "no deep discussions when on vacation."  
  
"Fine by me," Dawn replied, popping a stick of gum into her mouth and offering another to Tara. "It'll only be cute foreign boy and legal drinking age discussions from here on out."  
  
Tara shook her head, her long blonde hair flying about with the sharp movements. "Oh no, no alcohol for you. Buffy would kill me."  
  
"Naw, she's too happy that you said she didn't have to pay you back for my ticket. She'd just maim."  
  
Tara laughed as the two girls settled in to wait for their flight. 


	3. The World Gets Smaller

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers. Review Chart.Good: 2, Evil: 0.  
  
The HP part will pop up eventually, I promise. Just be ready for this to be a long one.  
  
Chapter 4 on the way.  
  
Chapter 3: The World Gets Smaller  
  
The next week was, while by no means the happiest, definitely one of the most rewarding of Tara's life. She finally got to observe Dawn being truly happy and at ease for the first time since the truth about her origins was discovered. Since the teenage girl had only been in her present form for a short while before the truth was discovered, it was entirely possible that this was the happiest she had ever been.  
  
The two Americans traveled through the French countryside, learning the language and absorbing the foreign atmosphere. Tara knew that Dawn didn't enjoy staying at the cheapest lodgings and only doing things that didn't cost much money, seeing as Tara had spent most of her savings on the plane tickets, but the younger girl quickly adapted, even going so far as to suggest grabbing meals at the market instead of any of the local restaurants.  
  
Tara decided, as an early Christmas present, to take Dawn out to a club when they finally reached Paris. Dawn was so excited, she subjected Tara to more squealing, which made the blonde girl cringe and laugh at the same time. They spent the night dancing and talking, and Tara even went so far as to let Dawn have a bit to drink, which resulted in both girls sleeping late into the next day.  
  
They wandered out of the hostel in the early afternoon, hungry and tired, searching for a café within walking distance to have lunch. Tara trudged after the slightly more awake teenager, who dropped into a seat outside of a seedy looking café that Tara was certain would have ranked an "F" in California. Tara and Dawn were both too hungry to care, however, as they quickly flagged down the waiter and order a larger than usual amount of food.  
  
They ate quickly and silently, finally sitting back and having a look around.  
  
"Wow," Dawn said, squinting and shielding her eyes from the still too bright sunlight, "this neighborhood is of the questionable."  
  
Tara had to agree, as she observed the half burned down shop across the street and the graffiti covering most of the block.  
  
"But look on the bright side," Dawn added after a moment, "at least there aren't any demons hanging around."  
  
"True," agreed Tara. "Actually, I'm surprised we haven't seen anything suspicious this whole trip. I mean, supposedly Europe is overrun with the vampires and such."  
  
Dawn shrugged. "Spike says the demons in Europe like to lay low. He says it's half the reason he went to America. American demons are into the big evil statements and male-type posturing."  
  
Dawn suddenly stopped talking, her mouth dropping open and her eyes growing large. "Holy crap. Speaking of demons," she muttered.  
  
Tara turned in her chair, following Dawn's gaze, and doing a double take herself. The blonde woman who had been the target of Dawn's shocked look finally spotted the two travelers and stopped in her tracks. She took a moment to recover, and then walked quickly over to the café table.  
  
"Anya!" Dawn exclaimed, jumping up to hug the ex-demon.  
  
Tara also walked over to where Anya stood, awkwardly hugging Dawn back.  
  
"Well," Anya said after finally breaking free of the greeting embrace, "now that you two are here, you can help me carry things." She handed her bags over to Dawn and Tara, leaving her own hands free.  
  
"Erm," began Tara, shifting the bag she was holding to her other arm as she gave Anya a confused look, "So you're here getting supplies for the Magic Shop?"  
  
Anya nodded, leading the other two girls down the road toward a more populated area. "Yes, I was picking up a few books from an old colleague of mine who owns a shop a few blocks from here. She was most unpleasant, laughing at my mortality, but she gave me the books for a reasonable price, so I let it go."  
  
Tara just nodded. "Oh, okay."  
  
Dawn began to chat happily at Anya about what she and Tara had done so far on the trip, thankfully leaving out the part about having a bit too much alcohol the night before. Tara knew that if Dawn told Anya, it would get back to Buffy through Xander in no time.  
  
A few minutes later they stopped in front of a small bookshop on a much nicer street that seemed to be full of similarly sized stores selling everything from clothing to souvenirs of the city. Tara practically smacked against Anya's back at the abrupt stop, catching herself and looking around with interest. Her eyes fell upon a man walking towards them from across the street.  
  
"Mr. Giles!" Tara exclaimed, smiling and waving as he acknowledged the extra people with Anya.  
  
"Hey Giles!" said Dawn, also waving.  
  
Giles seemed a bit surprised at the appearance of more Sunnydale residents, but not overly so. Tara got the impression that Buffy had filled him in on her and Dawn's vacation.  
  
"Hello. How nice that Anya has run into you two. I was wondering if we would see you, since Buffy informed me that you would be on this side of the pond." Giles said, embracing Tara and Dawn briefly, and handing a bag of what looked like more old books to Anya.  
  
"They were at a café in a very sketchy neighborhood," Anya told him, looking through the bag, and then handing it back to him, seemingly satisfied with its contents.  
  
"Ah, yes, well, I'm sure they have learned to take care of themselves enough to manage," Giles answered, smiling a bit at the grin that broke out on Dawn's face.  
  
"Yes, well," Anya continued, as if he had said nothing, turning to the girls, "Rupert and I are quite busy with the shop, and I don't think we really have enough time to be tourists with you two."  
  
Giles frowned, "Yes, we are on a tight schedule. But I don't see why you two can't join us. Assuming you don't have other plans," he added quickly as an afterthought.  
  
Dawn looked excitedly at Tara, who grinned and nodded, causing the younger girl to jump up and down and squeal a bit, though not as loudly as she could have. Tara's grin grew and she joined Dawn in a bit of the jumping, finally calming her down enough to find out where Giles and Anya's business was taking them.  
  
"Ah, well, a very exciting place for you possibly," Giles answered, an equally excited look coming over his face. "It'll be a unique learning experience, I do believe."  
  
Dawn groaned, "Only Giles could turn vacation into a unique learning experience."  
  
"Oh no, it is a fascinating place. I'm sure you two will enjoy it." Anya interjected, defending Giles's views on the matter. "And while you're learning we can get the rest of the books and get back to the shop."  
  
At this comment, a frown came over Giles's face and he looked at Tara and Dawn with a bit of confusion. "Actually, I thought Tara was left in charge of the shop. I didn't think to ask Buffy about that when she called."  
  
Tara and Dawn giggled, and then took two steps back, which caused Giles to narrow his eyes and look sharply at Anya. "Xander and Buffy are busy most of the time and Willow is in no shape to be around that many magical supplies unsupervised. That only leaves-" he broke off, suddenly plucking his glasses from his face and pulling a small cloth out of his pocket to wipe the lenses vigorously.  
  
"Spike." Anya supplied, even though Giles already knew the answer.  
  
"Oh dear lord." Giles muttered, placing his glasses back in their place and rubbing his temple in a way that suggested that the mere mention of the blonde vampire caused him great pain.  
  
"Anyway," shrugged Anya, turning back to the two grinning visitors, "we just have the one stop left."  
  
Giles got over his discomfort at the thought of Spike being in charge of his source of income and got a bit of his excited look back. "Yes, well, I suppose we'll have to let them know that we have two more guests coming with us, but I don't see it being a problem."  
  
"Yes," agreed Anya, "Tara is a Wicca and Dawn is the key. It's not as if they're regular people."  
  
Now the two girls were more curious than ever as to what this mysterious location was. A place that didn't look kindly upon regular people visiting was sure to be interesting.  
  
"So what is this place?" Tara finally asked for the both of them.  
  
"Hogwarts." Replied Giles.  
  
"Oh! The school? Cool." Said Dawn, causing Giles and Anya to look at her in surprise.  
  
"You've heard of it?"  
  
"Yeah. Er. It was sorta in one of your books." Dawn said to Giles, looking down at her hands nervously, "you know, in your private collection."  
  
Giles tried to look disapproving, but Tara could see the ghost of a smile on his face.  
  
"I've heard of it too." Tara said, "my mom told me about it when I was little."  
  
"Well then," said Giles, leading them down the street toward another part of the city.  
  
Anya still looked a bit taken aback. "You guys know about everything. It ruins all my fun." 


	4. The Beginning

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers. Review Chart.Good: 3, Evil: 0. (the reviews keep me writing.)  
  
Sitting in Stoner Park, in the midst of parts of Sunnydale, inspires me, as it turns out, so I'll probably have at least one chapter written every weekend, if not more.  
  
Chapter 4: The Beginning  
  
"Um, okay, you realize that there's a wall there, right?" Dawn looked at Giles skeptically.  
  
Giles explained to Dawn for the fourth time that she would most definitely go through the wall as long as no one other than their small group was looking at her.  
  
Dawn sighed and tried to explain to him again that people would notice someone disappearing through a wall right in front of them. "I would," she added, as if to confirm her point.  
  
Tara decided to finally step in and save Giles before his head exploded.  
  
"You grew up in Sunnydale around people who somehow haven't noticed that their very small town is overrun with demons." She said, smiling a bit at Giles's thankful expression.  
  
Dawn stopped to contemplate this for a moment, then nodded.  
  
"We have ten minutes before the train is supposed to leave," spoke Anya from the back of the group where she had begun flipping through a copy of "Modern Bride" as soon as the lengthy debate on the awareness of passersby to disappearing tourists began.  
  
"We should get going," said Giles, picking up his duffel bag and grabbing Dawn's backpack for her. "You two go first and Anya and I will be right behind you."  
  
Tara and Dawn nodded, and Tara leaned against the divider between platforms nine and ten as casually as she could muster, indicating for Dawn to do the same. As soon as the younger girl's shoulder hit the wall, both girls abruptly disappeared from view. Anya waited a moment before strolling through, followed by Giles. As soon as he got to platform nine and three quarters, Giles was greeted by a sight that made him chuckle a bit to himself.  
  
Tara and Dawn had managed to fall through the barrier, landing in a tangle on the other side, and both were struggling to get to their feet while simultaneously gaping at the large red locomotive that sat at the platform, waiting for its passengers. Tara's legs were caught in her long green skirt, which was in turn trapped under her, along with a very frustrated Dawn. Anya was trying to untangle them while keeping up the appearance that she wasn't also awestruck by the beauty of the old-fashioned train a few feet away.  
  
"Okay, stop moving!" Anya shouted at both of the girls on the ground, after a few fruitless moments of struggling with the skirt, which had ridden up to Tara's knees.  
  
"Easy for you to say," grumbled Dawn, "I stop moving, and lungs collapse."  
  
"I'm not that heavy," Tara replied, frowning at the younger girl, whose face was slightly below and to her left, and getting progressively redder, with embarrassment, or possibly asphyxiation. Tara wasn't sure which.  
  
The girls stopped moving and Anya yanked Tara's skirt out from under her, and then pulled her to her feet. Giles helped Dawn stand after Tara had been pulled off of her.  
  
Tara looked at the group sheepishly, "Er, I guess leaning wasn't the best idea. It seemed good at the time, but then the train was so pretty and Dawn was right behind me, and then all the falling and badness. Ow." She said, rubbing her thigh where she had landed on it.  
  
"No bother," replied Giles, "that is very much the reaction I had when I first saw it, though I was wearing pants at the time, so I was able to stand up without assistance."  
  
Tara grinned at him, her cheeks still slightly flushed with embarrassment.  
  
Just then, a porter stepped off the train and noticed the four new arrivals.  
  
"Ah, you lot'd be the Hogwarts group, then," he said, and Tara nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement of fact since he had already begun to grab their bags before he had finished saying it.  
  
They followed him onto the train, where he stowed their bags in an empty compartment and turned to leave.  
  
Giles stopped him right as he got to the door. "Are we the only passengers?"  
  
The porter shook his head. "One of the professors from the school is a few compartments down."  
  
Giles nodded, and the man left before Tara could decide whether to tip him or not.  
  
The small group settled in for the train ride as the large locomotive pulled slowly out of the station. Just as the train hit its top speed and began to run more smoothly, there was a knock at the compartment door. Giles reached up to open it, revealing their visitor, a tall woman wearing what Tara assumed was a traveling cloak of some sort. Dawn frowned as the woman assessed her over the top of her glasses, but then relaxed when she replaced her slight scowl with a very motherly smile.  
  
"You must be the professor the porter spoke of," Giles finally spoke up, breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Yes, and you must be the visitor whom Albus was speaking so highly of." The visitor replied, taking the seat Tara offered her, making the compartment slightly more cramped than it should have been, causing Anya now to have the slight scowl.  
  
"Rupert Giles," Giles said, shaking her hand briefly, "and this is Dawn Summers, Tara Maclay, and Anya Jenkins." He concluded the introduction by indicating each of them in turn.  
  
"I am Minerva McGonagall," the woman replied, smiling a bit wider as the girls nodded their acknowledgement. "I understand you are picking up a few of Albus's trinkets to sell to some muggles in America?"  
  
Dawn gave Tara a questioning look.  
  
"Muggles are non-magic people. Although, I believe they do magic a bit differently here." Tara answered, looking to the professor for confirmation.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked a bit taken aback.  
  
"Tara is a practicing witch in America," Giles broke in, "she's a Wicca."  
  
"Ah," replied the professor, understanding showing on her face, "a witch who uses the natural forces of the earth. Impressive. And much harder to control."  
  
Tara frowned a bit, "yes, I know. My mother was one too. The first thing she taught me was the importance of control. And, of course, about your world."  
  
Professor MacGonagall looked curiously at Tara for a moment before turning to Giles, "Albus tells me you have a considerable amount of power yourself, Mr. Giles."  
  
"Please, call me Rupert. And yes, I have a bit of talent, though I am quite out of practice. I spend much of my time in my books these days."  
  
"Yes, you are a Watcher, I believe he said. Though, I must confess, I have no idea what it is you watch."  
  
Giles laughed, "Most people don't. I assist the current vampire slayer in training and researching, and generally improving her technique and abilities."  
  
The professor's curiosity now fully focused on the slightly younger man sitting across from her. "The vampire slayer? Really? Well, now, that is quite interesting. You shall have to tell me all about it before you leave."  
  
Giles nodded his confirmation.  
  
"I'm the slayer's sister," Dawn spoke up. "I help her sometimes. Or, um, I try to. She says I'm too young. Which is so not true."  
  
Tara, Giles, and Professor MacGonagall laughed, "yes, well, I'm sure it's in your best interest to not spend too much time around the undead." The professor told her, which made Dawn settle in for a silent sulk.  
  
"And the last of the group, though perhaps I shouldn't ask," MacGonagall said, turning finally to Anya. "You are not a vampire, are you?"  
  
"No no, he's watching the shop," Anya supplied, grinning obliviously and shaking MacGonagall's hand.  
  
The professor gave Giles a questioning look.  
  
"Ah yes, long story. I'll tell you about that too."  
  
MacGonagall smiled, "At this rate, you'll be here until the end of the term."  
  
"I'm just a regular ol' human. No demon here," said Anya, still smiling cheerfully, "Rupert and I own a magic shop, and his friend told him that he had some items that might be of interest to us. A lot of things for the shop, and one or two books for Rupert's private collection. Though, I don't know why we shouldn't be able to sell them too. We could probably make the most money off of the rarer things. Typical, really."  
  
"Well, I'm sure Albus doesn't want anything harmful getting sold to muggles who have no idea of their power. Just a precaution, most likely," MacGonagall replied.  
  
"Um," Dawn interrupted, "so what's the deal with calling people 'muggles'? I mean, just cuz Tara and Willow do magic stuff doesn't mean they're not just normal people, right?"  
  
"Well, Ms. Summers, our world is a bit different than yours when it comes to magic."  
  
"What, like England? Cuz Giles is British and he does the regular old magic stuff."  
  
MacGonagall looked to Giles for the answer.  
  
"Quite right," he told an intrigued Dawn, "but that is because I was trained by the Council and therefore I never went to wizarding school. I, and a group of my friends, taught ourselves the natural magicks because, um, well, mostly out of boredom, actually." He trailed off a bit, looking flustered.  
  
"You're a wand waving wizard, huh?" Anya asked MacGonagall, which caused Dawn's eyebrows to shoot up to her hairline.  
  
"Wand?!" she exclaimed as MacGonagall pulled her wand out of her black cloak and held it up for Dawn's inspection.  
  
"Cool! I want a wand!"  
  
Tara smiled, "you have to be a witch to have a wand, Dawnie. They're not exactly sold on every street corner."  
  
"But imagine if they were," replied MacGonagall, causing everyone to chuckle.  
  
Tara finally sat back comfortably. She had been giving the odd woman serious scrutiny, even going so far as to read her aura, and she was convinced that there was nothing dark about her. She was one of the good guys. It calmed Tara a great deal, as she had been warned early on that quite a few wand carrying witches turned dark, possibly more so than Wiccans. Though when Wiccans went evil, they almost never recovered, since it was so deeply imbedded into who they were and how they dealt with their emotions and the world around them. She tuned back into the conversation, laughing inwardly at Dawn's enthusiasm in cross-examining the professor about every aspect of her world.  
  
"So everyone wears those robes? Wicked cool!" 


	5. The Wizened Wizard

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers. Sorry for the delay, I was out of town last weekend. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 5: The Wizened Wizard  
  
"Wait, so how come we'll be able to see it?" Dawn asked Professor McGonagall as the train came to a stop.  
  
The five passengers began to gather their belongings and step off of the train.  
  
"Well, really it's just a precaution. Since you have been formally invited and you're not exactly a group of ordinary muggles, I don't think the charms will prove any sort of hindrance."  
  
"I suppose we shall find out soon enough," said Giles, the last to step off of the large red train. "If I may ask, why did you not simply apparate to the school?"  
  
"Ah, well, first of all, you can only apparate as far as the front gates. There are also precautions to keep uninvited visitors out." McGonagall paused for a moment, before looking a bit, to Tara's disbelief, embarrassed? "As for the matter of the train ride, well, Albus informed me of your imminent arrival, and I was curious, you see. It's not every day that I meet muggles who also know of our world."  
  
The group approached a large carriage that was waiting to take them around the nearby lake and, Tara assumed, to the school. She wasn't sure what to expect at this point. Giles had told them that the school was a castle, but the closest she had ever been to one was paintings in her art history books. She was excited yet apprehensive about the thought of possibly exploring her first actual castle, and a magical Scottish Castle at that. She was broken out of her reverie by Dawn's startled yelp.  
  
"What the heck are those?!"  
  
The group came to a startled halt a few feet away from the carriage.  
  
Tara looked to where Dawn was pointing and was startled to see two large black, well, horses wasn't exactly right.  
  
McGonagall waved her hand at the animals as Giles helped her into the carriage. "Don't worry about them, dear, they're perfectly friendly."  
  
As a look of sadness briefly passed over the professor's face, Tara filed away the animals for later investigation. She couldn't even think of a possible reason for Dawn's mention of them to sour McGonagall's formerly cheerful demeanor.  
  
----------  
  
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the school a few minutes later, and Dawn immediately jumped out, followed by Tara, both with jaws dropped open and wide eyes. Even Anya seemed impressed and taken aback, though she had heard about the school many times in her thousand years and supposedly knew what to expect.  
  
McGonagall's smug look told them that she had been expecting this reaction, and Tara couldn't see how anyone could react with any less awe at their first viewing of the majestic castle.  
  
"Wow," was all Dawn said as she looked around at the grounds.  
  
Tara nodded, "It's beautiful."  
  
Giles noted, with some amusement, that Tara finally seemed to fit in to her surroundings. He had always thought her means of dress slightly out of the norm, but her long skirt and corset made her look almost like a maiden who lived in the castle before her, or perhaps, in the manner of the usual fairy tale, needed rescuing from a handsome prince. Or princess, as the case may be.  
  
Giles's observations were interrupted by the huge front doors opening to reveal the brightly lit front hallway.  
  
Dawn gasped, and Tara had to agree that the effect of the light filtering through the stained glass windows created a dazzling display of color. She only had a moment to observe this before she was overcome with the urge to giggle at the man who now stood before them.  
  
"Now, that's a wizard," Dawn said as she grinned widely at him.  
  
He smiled back and Tara almost had to let out a gasp of her own at the energy and, well, goodness radiating off of him. She took a step back before she could stop herself. The man simply smiled at her with an almost knowing look, though Tara supposed that if he had this much power, he most likely did know quite a few things instinctually.  
  
"Ah, Minerva," the old wizard said to the professor, who took the opportunity to join him at the top of the stairs, "I believe Ms. Granger needed to speak with you about her studies. She should just be finished eating. I believe you may still catch her."  
  
McGonagall looked slightly put off by the quick dismissal but disappeared inside without broaching an argument.  
  
"Well now," the old wizard said after she was gone, "I believe introductions first, then, perhaps, a tour."  
  
Even Giles, who had presumably been to the school more than once before, seemed excited at the prospect.  
  
The white-bearded man extended a hand to Anya and shook lightly, "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this fine institution. You must be Anya. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Rupert has sung your praises to me on more than one occasion. Though, not literally, which is a shame."  
  
Anya blushed and Tara almost giggled as the thousand-year-old ex-demon was instantly transformed into a nervous schoolgirl. Before Anya had the chance to reply, Dumbledore moved on to Dawn, who shook his hand eagerly.  
  
"I'm Dawn," she said, still grinning.  
  
"Of course," the Headmaster replied, his reserved smile moving up a notch at the young brunette's enthusiasm. "Rupert has also told me many fine things about you."  
  
Giles's laugh was quickly turned into a cough, but not before Dawn noticed. She narrowed her eyes and shot him a withering glare.  
  
"He listens to Buffy too much," Dawn said, slightly pouting.  
  
Dumbledore laughed, "Your sister, correct?"  
  
Dawn nodded.  
  
"Yes, well, I'm sure she would have some wonderful things to say about you too. It seems to me that the most lively tend to inadvertently attract the most trouble."  
  
Dawn beamed at him.  
  
"I believe there are at least two students here who would agree with that sentiment, though they seem to be the cause of at least a few of their mishaps. It is a shame they did not stay over for break. I suspect you would have a lot to talk about."  
  
Dumbledore smiled at Dawn's sheepish look. Tara tried not to think of all of the times in the past when Dawn unknowingly caused trouble for the Slayer, most recently and occasion on which Giles did sing some praises, and, well, other things. Tara shuddered a bit. She quickly recovered from her thoughts and smiled at Dumbledore as he finally turned to greet her.  
  
"And that leaves Miss Maclay."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Tara greeted him, surprised at how strong his grip was. Obviously he still had a bit of physical power along with his disconcertingly strong magical abilities.  
  
Dumbledore examined the blonde girl for a moment, his expression revealing nothing of the conclusions he was drawing.  
  
"I apologize for overwhelming you earlier. I must admit, it has been a while since anyone has tried to get a reading on me in quite that way. If I had known, I would have taken some preventative measures."  
  
Tara tried not to look embarrassed that he had known exactly what she had done to make her react that way.  
  
"It's okay," she finally stammered out, still sounding slightly guilty.  
  
Dumbledore gave her a knowing look, "I trust everything was to your satisfaction."  
  
Tara simply nodded, smiling a bit.  
  
"Yes, well, I suggest you refrain from using you abilities around some of the current residents. Specifically, Professor Snape and young Mister Potter. Though, Minerva might find it a bit disturbing too."  
  
He put his arms around Anya and Dawn and led two confused, one amused, and one sheepish guest into the school.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said, as the front doors closed behind them. 


	6. The Past Comes Rushing Back

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers. Two nice reviews from Mary-thanks Mary! The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 6: The Past Comes Rushing Back  
  
"How much longer until we admit defeat and send up flares?" Dawn asked as the two girls rounded what seemed to Tara to be the hundredth identical corner and entered the hundredth identical hallway.  
  
"I don't want to use a spell around here. I don't know how it would react." Tara replied, sighing. "Plus, um, I don't know one to use," She added.  
  
Dawn smiled slightly, stopping in the middle of the hallway to look at a particularly pretty painting of an empty ballroom. As Tara joined her, two women in elaborate white dresses entered the painting from the right.  
  
The girls took a reflexive step back as more figures entered the painting and began to dance in slow circles to nonexistent music. Tara and Dawn leaned forward to peer closer at the dancers in the back, who had taken seats at table and were waving and smiling at them.  
  
"Can I help you?" asked a voice from behind them.  
  
The girls jumped and a scream escaped from Dawn as they spun around to see who had spoken.  
  
Tara took a deep breath and tried to slow her racing heart as she looked the man over. He seemed to be around Giles's age, although she suspected that he was perhaps a bit younger and had simply, like Buffy, Xander, and Willow, aged faster than the people around him. His tentative yet curious smile confirmed her suspicions as the years dropped away and she decided that he was probably closer to forty. Though, now that she thought about it, Giles himself was probably a lot younger than he seemed. Life on the hellmouth tended to turn human years into cat years.  
  
Dawn nudged Tara, breaking her out of her thoughts and back to the man in front of her. His robes, though a bit tattered, led her to believe that he was probably a professor at the school, and therefore, hopefully, they were saved without needing to conjure some flares.  
  
"Um, we're a bit lost," Dawn finally answered for them, "we were looking for the Headmaster."  
  
The man's smile grew. "Ah, you must be the guests Minerva was telling me about before she left for break."  
  
Tara smiled back at the man. If Professor McGonagall was friends with him, then perhaps he was okay. She was tempted to try to read him, but Dumbledore's warning still echoed in her mind. She wasn't about to invade someone's privacy like that. Just the fact that he was in the school probably meant he was safe to be around. Tara was beginning to suspect that the threatening people of this world wouldn't be anywhere near Dumbledore. Which was probably smart, considering the power she'd glimpsed when she'd met him.  
  
Tara finally spoke up, "I'm Tara and this is Dawn."  
  
"Professor Remus Lupin," the man replied, shaking hands with each of them, "pleased to meet you. Perhaps I can help you find the Headmaster."  
  
They each looped an arm through his and he turned them around, heading them back down the hall.  
  
"If I may ask, how did you end up here by yourselves in the first place? This isn't the safest part of the school to get lost in, though it isn't quite as bad as the dungeons."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened. "There are dungeons here? Like real live 'lock 'em in the dungeons' dungeons?"  
  
Tara and Remus both smiled at this. "Well, I've never personally been locked in them, but I'm sure they were used in such a way at some point."  
  
"See Dawnie, at least Sunnydale High didn't have any dungeons," Tara said to the still wide-eyed Dawn.  
  
"Yeah, just the big gapin' mouth o' hell. Something to look forward to when they finish rebuilding." Dawn answered, rolling her eyes.  
  
Remus was looking between the two girls with a mixture of amusement and confusion.  
  
Dawn shook her head at his inquiring look, "don't worry about it, it's a whole big thing."  
  
Remus just nodded. Tara was a bit surprised that he let it go at that, but then she considered some of the things he must have seen living in the wizarding world, and suddenly life in Sunnydale didn't seem so peculiar.  
  
"So back to my original question," Remus said, leading them around another corner that looked to Tara like the one they had rounded just moments before, "how did you happen to find yourselves in that hallway?"  
  
"Oh, we were getting a tour from the ghost guy-"  
  
"Sir Nicholas," Tara interrupted.  
  
"Whatever, anyway, he said he had to go do, well, ghost type stuff I guess, and asked if we could find our way back. We said yes."  
  
"We were wrong." Tara finished for Dawn.  
  
Remus laughed, "well, just be glad you didn't run into Peeves. He tends to occupy that hallway during the break."  
  
Dawn looked at the older man questioningly.  
  
"Peeves is a poltergeist. He likes to wreak havoc on unsuspecting residents of the school. I don't believe guests from America are exempt from this."  
  
Tara shuddered at this thought. Sir Nicholas had been perfectly friendly, but the whole ghost factor had made her uncomfortable, whereas Dawn just thought it was cool. She couldn't imagine how she would have reacted to Peeves' practical jokes. She supposed it was ridiculous for her to think that way, after all, she was different from regular people herself, but the noncorporeal element was a bit much. Even though Sir Nicholas was the friendliest person she had met in the school so far, he still gave her the wiggins.  
  
Tara realized that she must have shivered involuntary, because Remus cast a worried glance her way and gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
She smiled back, but still didn't feel entirely comfortable. The man was friendly and had an easy going look about him, but something was off. She got the impression that he was more complicated than he looked at first glance. But then, most everyone she had met in the past few years was.  
  
They finally arrived at an open hole in the wall behind a large statue, and Remus led them up a winding staircase to an empty office as the wall closed behind them. Dawn had no problem with ghosts or dungeons or magic castles in general, but she had already voiced her complaints about some of the room entrances. She confided to Tara that all of this 'climbing through musty old walls' was stupid. Apparently her pants were being slowly ruined by the dirt. Tara hadn't noticed any dirt spots yet, but she was getting annoyed with having to hike her skirt up to get into half of the rooms they were shown. She imagined that if she were to stay her for longer than a day, she would be switching to jeans.  
  
Remus motioned for them to take a seat on a comfortable looking green sofa that rested on one side of a fireplace, and he disappeared into an adjoining room. As they waited for him to come back, Giles and Anya appeared in the doorway through which the two girls had just entered.  
  
They took seats at a small couch on the other side of the fireplace, nodding at Tara and Dawn, who nodded their greeting back. The former demon was holding two large books that appeared to Tara to be about a thousand years old. *About Anya's age,* Tara thought, sitting back farther on the comfortable sofa, *My life is odd.*  
  
The adjoining door opened and Professor Lupin returned, followed by Dumbledore.  
  
"Ah, our esteemed guests have all returned," the Headmaster said as Remus took a seat in a chair near the main door.  
  
Before Dumbledore could continue, a loud banging sounded from somewhere outside the comfortable room.  
  
"Albus!" someone shouted from the hallway, "You've changed the password again!"  
  
"Let go of me! I'm not a threat to your precious school!" came another voice, which caused Anya to jump up from her seat next to Giles.  
  
Dumbledore motioned for her to sit back down as he disappeared down the stairs to greet the new arrivals.  
  
Everyone looked questioningly at Anya, who was smiling and staring anxiously at the door. A moment later, Dumbledore appeared with two people trailing behind him, making quite an interesting site.  
  
Tara almost laughed out loud as a very imposing man in all black stumbled in, holding the arm of a not-so-intimidating looking woman wearing an outfit that would look at home on a female version of Giles. That is to say, a female librarian. The white button up shirt and - was that actually tweed? - brown skirt were deceptively sweet, only discounted by the angry look on the woman's face. Tara wanted to sink back further into the couch, but Dawn put a reassuring hand on her arm and gave her a brief smile.  
  
Anya jumped up from the couch again, and ran to hug the furious woman, whose anger waned as soon as she spotted the ex-demon. The man who had been holding her still had a scowl on his face, but he eased a bit at the familiarity between the two women.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Anya asked the woman.  
  
"I wanted to catch up before the wedding, and D'Hoffryn gave into my request for time off. Not that I'll be totally off duty." The woman replied.  
  
Tara looked sharply at the new arrival. She had heard of D'Hoffryn in her past reading. She thought he was Anya's old boss, in a demon kind of way. Which meant that this woman must also be a vengeance demon. No wonder the scowling man who was now observing from a shadowed corner was irritated about her arrival.  
  
"Perhaps some introductions are in order before Severus decides to exact some justice of his own." Dumbledore said from the seat he had taken behind the largest piece of furniture in the room, an enormous wooden desk covered with various magical items, and, Tara noted with some curiosity, an empty birdcage.  
  
"Of course, Albus," the woman replied, smiling at the old man and taking a seat in a chair next to Professor Lupin. "I'm Hallie, and I used to work with Anya before her tragic downfall."  
  
Anya rolled her eyes.  
  
Hallie continued, not noticing, "I looked for her in Sunnydale, but her fiancé-" she said this last word with more than a little disdain- "told me she was away on business. So it took a little while, but I eventually tracked her to the school. Imagine my surprise when I apparated to the gate and ran into this moody fellow." She finished with a gesture to the man still lurking in the shadows.  
  
"Imagine my surprise when you apparated on top of me," he retorted in a low threatening voice.  
  
Dawn started to giggle, which caused him to shoot a venomous glare in her direction. At this, the tension in the room broke and everyone else burst into small fits of laughter. Tara just frowned. She would normally have found the story amusing as well, but the man who was trying to be imposing seemed deeply embarrassed to her. She had had her fair share of uncomfortable embarrassment in the past, and though it seemed something to be laughed at and dismissed to most, to her it was the kind of moment she used to dwell on. She noticed that the man stepped further into the shadows as the conversation resumed around her, but his gaze drifted to her face and seemed to look right through her for a minute before shifting over to Remus. She shook her head and focused on the conversation.  
  
"Halfrek is in the wedding," Anya was saying, "we need to discuss the bridesmaid dresses since Xander is refusing anything traditional. Too demony my ass."  
  
"Ah yes, congratulations on the marriage," Dumbledore told Anya, "I'm sure with Halfrek there it will be most interesting. And if all your friends are as exuberant as her, I daresay it may be the party of the century."  
  
Giles looked from Hallie to the Headmaster and back again, "You two know each other?"  
  
"Of course, Rupert," replied Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow in Hallie's direction.  
  
Hallie sighed, "Yes, well, a few years ago I tried to perform some justice in the wizarding world. Here at the school, in fact. It turns out wizards can usually come up with better justice for their uncaring parents than I ever could. Of course, if Anyanka would return to the fold and reconsider her whole 'evil men' focus, she could probably be of some use in this world."  
  
"Thank you, but I'm happy with Xander," Anya replied, hugging her friend again.  
  
"Yes, well, if you ever change your mind. Oh, and I was also supposed to tell Dawn that Buffy says not to come back to Sunnydale yet."  
  
"What?" Dawn asked.  
  
Tara stopped her subtle observation of the man in the shadows and was drawn fully into the conversation. "Why not?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, something about a threat to her life. She wrote it in a letter." Hallie said, as Tara noticed the sealed envelope in her hand.  
  
She handed it to Dawn and sat back down in her chair. Dawn ripped the envelope open and pulled out a short letter written very hastily in Buffy's bubbly script.  
  
Everyone sat in silence, waiting for her to finish. Finally, Giles cleared his throat, a worried expression on his face. "Perhaps you could give us a brief synopsis?"  
  
"I-" Dawn began, tears forming in her eyes. She was starting to shake and couldn't seem to finish the reply.  
  
Tara gently took the letter from her hand and gave it to Giles, who had left his spot on the sofa to stand by Dawn. He quickly skimmed the letter, and his face visibly paled as he reached the end.  
  
"Oh dear," he said. "Doc."  
  
Tara thought for a moment, "the man that Buffy.." she trailed off, not knowing how to finish the statement without disturbing Dawn further.  
  
"Yes." Giles replied, kneeling by Dawn and patting her arm in a fatherly way as the tears began to fall silently down her cheeks.  
  
"What about him?" Tara asked, in a whisper, dreading the answer.  
  
Giles removed his glasses and finally looked up at her. "He's back." 


	7. The End of the Beginning

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. You guys rock. I hope this chapter clears some things up. Sorry it's so much exposition. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 7: The End of the Beginning  
  
"Rupert," Dumbledore said, getting the attention of the worried watcher who was rubbing Dawn's arm in an attempt to soothe her. "Perhaps you can take Miss Summers into my sitting room until she is feeling better." He suggested, motioning toward the door through which he had first appeared.  
  
Giles nodded and stood, while Tara helped Dawn to her feet. Professor Lupin handed Giles what looked to Tara like a small piece of chocolate. She had heard the saying that chocolate cured everything, but wasn't that taking it a bit far? Giles nodded his thanks, escorting the shaking girl out of the room.  
  
Meanwhile, Anya and Halfrek also took their leave of the group, disappearing down the stairs after saying goodbye to Dumbledore and Tara, presumably to discuss wedding details. Tara was grateful not to be dragged into the conversation simply by virtue of her being a female. Or perhaps Anya asked her opinions because she seemed to be the only one in their small group who didn't mind all of the blunt sex comments. After all, once you got past the first hundred or so embarrassing incidents, you really have to start wondering why everyone still acted shocked that Anya had no conversation censor. And, considering the way things had been going lately, maybe total honesty wasn't such a bad thing. It certainly would have saved her and Willow a lot of time.  
  
*Now's not the time for Willow thoughts,* Tara had to remind herself. Dawn's current crisis was much more important.  
  
The room was tense with silence, and seemed to have gotten smaller to Tara, though now it had only four occupants remaining, not including the portraits, who all seemed to be waiting for some sort of explanation as to what had just happened.  
  
"If it is not too much trouble," the Headmaster finally said to Tara, breaking the silence, "perhaps you could fill me in? Not necessarily all the specifics, maybe just a general overview?"  
  
As all eyes turned to the blonde girl, she suddenly became very nervous. "Um."  
  
The Headmaster gave her a reassuring smile, "I assure you, it will not leave this room. If it would make you more comfortable, Professors Lupin and Snape could step out for a moment and you could just relay the story to me."  
  
Tara was tempted to take him up on his offer, but she knew there was no reason for her to be this wary of Lupin, and she didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with either him or Snape.  
  
"No, it's okay," she finally replied, after casting a few nervous looks at the man in the chair by the door, which didn't go unnoticed by Snape.  
  
He looked at Tara with confusion, which quickly turned into boredom when he realized she was looking back at him.  
  
"It's a sad story, but one that Dawn managed to get through almost undamaged. I don't want anyone pitying her. That isn't what she needs right now. Or ever." Tara began, still studying Snape, whose face showed nothing but indifference, though there seemed to still be an emotion just below the surface.  
  
She finally turned back to Dumbledore to begin the tale in earnest.  
  
"A short while ago, telling you about Dawn's true nature could have resulted in her death, but now she seems to be handling it okay, even making jokes about it sometimes. She isn't a regular person, and she's much older than everyone in this room combined. She's even older than Anya."  
  
At this, the Headmaster chuckled, while Lupin looked confused, and Snape - well - Tara was trying to ignore Snape, who was studying her so hard that she felt like his eyes were trying to bore through to her brain. Which, in a manner of speaking, they were.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Tara was still explaining the intricacies of Dawn's existence.  
  
"And so this Doc person is?"  
  
Tara could not help the slight flinch that came when Lupin interrupted her, reminding her of his presence a few feet away.  
  
"Um, well, not a person exactly. When Dawn's mom died, Dawn wanted to bring her back, and she figured she could do it with magic."  
  
Lupin and Snape drew in audible breaths at this.  
  
Tara chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, well, dark magic is a story for another day."  
  
Dumbledore gave a slight wave of his hand, "Please continue."  
  
Tara drew in a calming breath and dove back into her story, "So Spike took Dawn to see this guy Doc about bringing Joyce back. She had, well, still has I suppose, Spike wrapped around her little finger. Not that it's easy to deny Dawnie anything, but Spike doesn't always make the best choices. Or, er, any good choices."  
  
"And Spike is?" Snape's low voice came from the dark corner where he was still lurking, finding the chairs offensive in some way.  
  
"Spike is kinda hard to explain. Basically, he's a vampire turned good. Well, maybe not good so much as helpful. At times."  
  
"Is Buffy mot a slayer of vampires? Why does she keep him around?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Well, there was this whole thing with this chip implanted into his head. Basically, he can't harm any human being without an unbearable amount of pain. So he fights on our side now. Well, in between threats about when he gets his chip out and Xander's bloody death."  
  
Lupin looked confused, "I've never heard of a Slayer who took the time to distinguish between good and bad creatures."  
  
Tara smiled at this, "that's why Buffy's one of a kind. Well, that and the whole dying a couple of times thing. Besides, her first boyfriend was a vampire with a soul, and she used to be good friends with a werewolf. No one in the group is really demon free as far as friends go."  
  
Tara began to wonder if she had gone too far when she realized that all three men were staring at her with incredulous shock. Lupin was the first to recover.  
  
"Good friends with a werewolf, you say?" he asked, mostly to himself, his entire demeanor becoming more relaxed.  
  
Tara studied Lupin for a moment before deciding to try to get back to the original point.  
  
"So anyway, Dawn ended up changing her mind about bringing Mrs. Summers back, and no one really thought about Doc again until Xander and Spike went to him for information about Glory. I don't really know about that meeting, but I do know that Doc was back at the final showdown with Glory. The whole thing went down as planned, I was told. I was a little.out of it.at the time. Anyway, so as Glory was distracted, somehow Doc, who we discovered was one of Glory's followers, um, he managed to get up on the tower."  
  
Another loud gasp was heard, this time just from Lupin, as Snape seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts.  
  
"So Spike goes up to get rid of him, but somehow Doc gets the upper hand and pushes Spike off. He actually gets a few cuts in before Buffy finally threw him off the tower. Dawn said that they thought it was all okay, but some blood managed to drip down enough to finish the ritual and start opening the portal."  
  
"So Buffy had to jump to save Dawn and the world," Lupin supplied.  
  
"Yes. Doc was the one responsible for taking Dawn's sister from her."  
  
There was a lengthy silence as the men absorbed the information and Tara tried to push the bad memories back where they had been hiding before she let them out to tell the story.  
  
This time, the silence was broken by the sitting room door opening and Giles reappearing without Dawn.  
  
"Ah, I can see Tara has cleared up any confusion," he said, glancing around the room, before removing his glasses to rub his tired eyes. "Dawn is sleeping at the moment."  
  
Tara finally sat back, feeling some relief at the thought of Dawn being in a peaceful sleep, if only for a little while. Giles took a seat next to Tara, giving her a small smile and a reassuring pat on the arm. Tara gave him a weak smile in return.  
  
"I guess Dawnie and I will go back to London. I have a little money left, and I can probably get a part time job or something. Enough to get by, hopefully. I don't have a work permit or anything," Tara said, trying to figure out how much money she had left.  
  
Giles frowned, "I should check with some sources and try to help Buffy with her search for this demon, but I would like to offer my flat for your use until this is resolved. I don't know how safe you will be, but I can work out some method of protection in case his revenge brings him all the way to Dawn."  
  
Tara and Giles were pulled out of their thoughts by the clearing of a throat.  
  
"If I may interrupt," Dumbledore said, a sparkle in his eye, "Hogwarts is open to all those who seek help." 


	8. Settling In

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. Sorry this is a little late. I spent all of Saturday playing "Chaos Bleeds". Stupid addictive game. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 8: Settling In  
  
"That's very nice of you, but-" Giles began before Dumbledore held up a hand, cutting him off.  
  
"Let me ask you this," Dumbledore began, moving out from behind his imposing desk, "If you had the room and the inclination, would you turn down the chance to help a friend in need? Or, a future friend, if I may be so bold."  
  
Giles smiled and shook his head, placing his glasses back on his face after a brief cleaning. "I suppose not. However, I feel the need to repay you in some way for helping Dawn. Perhaps I have some texts at my disposal that may be of use to you in your impending, um, predicament."  
  
Tara glanced at Giles in confusion at this last statement.  
  
Dumbledore again waved aside the comment, putting a hand on Giles's arm and leading him out the door, with the others close behind, "yes, yes, I'm sure something will come up in the future. Meanwhile, I shall send Madam Pomfrey, our resident nurse, to check on Miss Summers, and perhaps I can persuade Professor-"  
  
Dumbledore broke off, looking from Lupin to Snape, and then glancing at Tara, "Professor Snape to show you to guest quarters."  
  
Snape scowled, while Lupin looked disappointed but understanding.  
  
"I assume that you will be staying here with young Dawn," the Headmaster said to Tara, somehow managing to make it a statement without sounding like a command.  
  
"If that's okay," Tara replied, smiling shyly at the Headmaster, "I don't want to leave Dawnie alone, and I can take some time off from school. With the way things are now, I'm probably in the easiest position to stay with her."  
  
"Very good," replied Dumbledore, leading the group down the hall and working out the details of their stay.  
  
~-~-  
  
Tara was beginning to doubt whether Professor Snape had any facial expressions besides surly and scowling, and that brief moment of shock earlier. She got the impression that showing her to her and Dawn's future rooms was the equivalent of a slow torturous death to him. Or perhaps worse, if the anger in his eyes was any indication.  
  
She finally grabbed his arm, nearly getting yanked off her feet by his sudden turn. "If you need to be somewhere else, I'm sure you could just give me directions or something."  
  
She tried to read his expression, but he wasn't revealing anything. "I mean, we got lost earlier, but that was because we were trying to remember the directions backwards, and I think we took a right when we should have taken our first left, and then the staircase moved-"  
  
"Miss Maclay," Snape interrupted, stopping her almost Willow-sized babble, "I apologize if you misinterpreted my silence for distraction or discomfort. I was merely trying to get you settled in a timely fashion."  
  
"Oh," Tara replied, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.  
  
Snape nodded slightly and resumed their trek to Tara and Dawn's new residence. A short while later he stopped them in front of a large portrait of a family sitting around a dinner table. Tara couldn't help but smile a bit at the happiness that the family seemed to radiate, while it seemed to make Professor Snape's scowl grow.  
  
"This is the entrance to your residence. You may simply inform the family of your password and everything will be in order."  
  
Tara looked at the portrait nervously.  
  
Snape's brow furrowed, "I assume you are familiar with the system of entry into the residences after your earlier tour."  
  
"Yes," Tara replied, still looking unsure, "but don't I need to wave a wand at it or something? I mean, doesn't it require magic to begin working?"  
  
"Albus took care of it while you were exploring the school."  
  
At this, Tara's nervousness turned into outright confusion. "But the Headmaster didn't know we were going to have to stay here. That's kind of strange. Is it a normal precaution when you have guests or something?"  
  
"No," Snape replied, "Albus tends to know these things beforehand."  
  
"That's just freaky," Tara muttered, before turning back to the portrait.  
  
"At times," Snape said before he walked off in a billow of black robes.  
  
Tara smiled at this, before turning her thoughts to her new password. It would have to be something she and Dawn could share but no one else would be able to guess. Unless Mr. Giles or Anya needed to get inside for some reason.  
  
"Excuse me," she finally said to the family in the portrait.  
  
The youngest child, a small blonde girl, looked up from her meal. "Yes?"  
  
"Um, I have my new password," Tara replied, restraining herself from taking a large step back.  
  
The girl looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Hellmouth."  
  
The girl nodded, "Thank you. Welcome home."  
  
Tara was about to reply when the portrait swung open, and her words turned into a sigh at the doorway that was revealed.  
  
"Oh good. No climbing." She said as she entered her new rooms to start getting settled in.  
  
~-~-  
  
Two hours later, after Dawn had woken and been informed of the situation, which Tara thought she was handling very well, considering, there was a knock at the door to their new rooms. Tara was sitting in the main room, a large bright area filled with comfortable chairs and a large fireplace, with Giles discussing his plans for finding Doc as Dawn was getting settled into her nearby bedroom. Tara couldn't help but think that the size of the bedrooms had something to do with Dawn's graceful acceptance of her situation. The four-poster beds alone were as big as Tara's dorm room, which, granted, wasn't saying much, but they also took up less than a fourth of the overall rooms.  
  
Tara crossed to the door, expecting Anya and Hallie, but instead opening it to reveal Professor Snape.  
  
"The Headmaster invites you to have your dinner with the staff and few remaining students in the dining hall," Snape told her.  
  
Tara smiled at him, "Okay. Let me go get Dawnie. Would you like to come in for a moment?"  
  
Snape looked surprised at the offer, which Tara stored in her memory as his fourth expression, though possibly just a subtler version of the third. He nodded and followed her back through the door. Tara noticed that he still didn't take a seat, but rather forced Giles to stand awkwardly to greet him, as she went to get Dawn for dinner.  
  
A short walk from their rooms revealed the school's dazzling front hallway, now subdued because of the lack of sunlight through the colorful windows. The group, led by Snape, entered into the dining hall. Tara and Dawn looked around in amazement at the enormous room. Giles watched them from the back of the group, smiling at their shocked expressions as they looked up at the deceptively missing ceiling.  
  
"Holy crap! The ceiling's gone!" Dawn exclaimed, causing the entire group of people already seated around a large table in the middle of the room to look up.  
  
"Good entrance, Dawn," Tara muttered to the young brunette as they took the four empty seats on one side of the table.  
  
Dawn just rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the people around them. Tara was surprised to note that Anya was already seated on the other side, with Hallie nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Ah yes, Halfrek was called away on business, I'm afraid, but I daresay there may be new friends to be made here," Dumbledore said to Tara, who looked up at him in surprise, and then glanced at Snape, who had what could have almost been a miniscule smile on his face.  
  
"Introductions are in order," Remus said from the other end of the table.  
  
The Headmaster took it upon himself to go around the table introducing the newest arrivals to the students and teachers, and vise versa. He ended with a name that Tara was surprised to hear, as was Giles, if his sudden cleaning of his glasses was any indication.  
  
"And this is Harry Potter, who is in his third year."  
  
Dawn and Tara smiled in greeting, while Giles examined the boy's forehead, which bore a scar almost completely obscured by his messy hair.  
  
"I daresay our guests have heard of you, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore addressed Harry, "perhaps they are not as far removed from our world as I first believed.  
  
"He's in a few of Mr. Giles's books back in Sunnydale." Tara said as she too took a peek at the boy's forehead, which was now completely obscured by his hair as he flattened it down self-consciously.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Tara told Harry apologetically, "I guess we're just used to matching the symbol to the prophecy."  
  
"Yes, well, I believe it is time for the feast to begin," Dumbledore said loudly, making Tara think that perhaps he was changing the subject on purpose.  
  
As the food appeared, seemingly out of thin air, much to Dawn's excited surprise, Tara didn't notice the confused looks that the three Gryffindors across the way were throwing at her.  
  
~-~-  
  
Tara was relieved when the day finally ended. She felt as if she had been battling demons or doing complex spells all day, rather than simply meeting new people in a strange new place. Giles retired to his own temporary quarters after saying his goodbyes to Dawn and Tara, explaining that he didn't feel as if waking them up at the early hour he planned to leave for England would be such a good idea. Tara had to agree, after being on the receiving end of cranky morning Dawn. Anya was also leaving with him, to get back to Sunnydale and her money, but she promised to send along a letter that Tara and Dawn had written to Buffy and Xander, and separate letters that Tara had written to Willow and Dawn had written to Spike.  
  
"So how are you doing?" Tara asked Dawn as she took a seat beside her on the couch in front of the warm fire.  
  
Dawn gave Tara half of her wool blanket, settling down further into the large cushions. "Good. I guess if you're gonna be in hiding somewhere, this is a good place to be. I mean, it's like hiding out at camp or something."  
  
Tara smiled at her analogy, "Yeah, it's gonna be fun. Maybe you'll get to meet the troublemakers that the Headmaster mentioned earlier."  
  
"Yeah," Dawn replied mischievously, "maybe I'll be the bad influence."  
  
"Dawnie," Tara said warningly, the threat lessened by the large grin still on her face.  
  
"You know what the coolest part about this all is?" Dawn said, grinning as well.  
  
"What?"  
  
"No school." 


	9. Revelations and Explanations

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 9: Revelations and Explanations  
  
"This place is so freakin' cool!" Dawn said as they waited for the staircase to reach them.  
  
Tara couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm. Once she became resigned to the idea that she couldn't do anything but wait for the Scoobies to take care of the Doc problem, she finally seemed to realize that she would be living in a real live castle with wizards and ghosts. She had woken up early on their first morning in their new rooms and dragged Tara off to explore their surroundings. Tara hadn't minded, but now she was beginning to regret missing breakfast.  
  
*At least we're not lost. Yet.* Tara thought to herself, *Next time remember the trail of breadcrumbs.*  
  
"I feel like we should be running into Dracula any minute now," Tara said, glancing around suspiciously.  
  
"Well, there's always that Snape guy," Dawn replied, "although, I think Buffy killed Dracula. Maybe. She said something about a mist and cheating. She could have been talking about Spike. Who knows with her."  
  
The two girls climbed down the stairs once they had finally settled in front of them, and made their way into the lower recesses of the castle.  
  
"Um, I don't know if we should be down here, Dawnie," Tara said, beginning to get nervous as the hallway grew dim and the portraits began to take on a foreboding theme.  
  
"Dumbledore said we could go anywhere but the forest," Dawn replied, stopping to inspect a suit of armor, which nodded to her in greeting.  
  
She grinned and nodded back, dragging Tara reluctantly behind her. As they rounded a corner, a figure appeared, exiting from a door down the hall.  
  
"Good morning, Professor Lupin," Tara said in greeting, plastering a smile to her face.  
  
Lupin looked up and smiled back, surprised. "Good morning Miss Maclay. Miss Summers."  
  
Dawn waved her hello in return.  
  
"Are you o-okay?" Tara asked as she looked at his tired face, hating that he made her nervous enough to stutter.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you. I should be getting back to my office to finish up my work. Students will be back before you know it." Lupin said, nodding to them as he walked past them and down the hall.  
  
Tara watched him leave, before turning back to Dawn, who was giving her an assessing look.  
  
"Why did you stutter?" Dawn finally asked.  
  
"I don't know," Tara replied with a shrug of her shoulders, "he makes me nervous for some reason."  
  
"I like him," Dawn said, beginning to lead them down the hall again, "he's so laid back and mellow. He kinda reminds me of Oz, but with more emotions. And, you know, less style."  
  
Tara stopped suddenly, causing Dawn to turn and look at her apologetically.  
  
"Oh god, I'm sorry!" she said. "You and Oz had that whole thing. I didn't mean-"  
  
"That's not it," Tara interrupted her," it's just, I think I figured out what was bothering me about him."  
  
"What?" Dawn asked, looking slightly relieved that she hadn't put her foot in her mouth this time.  
  
"I think Professor Lupin is a werewolf."  
  
Both girls jumped as the door next to them flew open and a very imposing figure in billowing black robes stormed out.  
  
"What do you know of werewolves?" Professor Snape demanded, causing Dawn to take a step back.  
  
Tara tried to calm herself enough to answer without stuttering through half the words.  
  
"E-enough. I've only met one, but I know that while a lot of demons are purely evil, werewolves can't be judged in that way. They're human most of the time."  
  
Snape just held her gaze, his expression unreadable.  
  
"Tara was attacked by one once," Dawn supplied, after she too had regained her ability to speak, "my sister's friend Oz is a werewolf. He was Willow's boyfriend before." Dawn trailed off, assuming that Snape wasn't even listening to her, since his eyes hadn't left Tara's face for a second.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence as the Potions Master seemed to be debating something to himself. Finally he came to an internal decision.  
  
"No obliviate then, I suppose. You must not tell anyone of your suspicions about Lupin," he said in a low but firm voice, "It could cause trouble for him. Some people do not look kindly upon certain.differences."  
  
"Of course. It's nobody's business," Dawn agreed as Tara simply nodded.  
  
She was beginning to feel uncomfortable under Snape's gaze, that hadn't yet faltered. She finally looked away, effectively breaking his attention.  
  
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and looked at Tara almost with - was that pity or understanding?  
  
"I too have had some past issues with werewolves," he said, confirming to Tara that it was understanding. "I assure you, you have nothing to fear from Remus."  
  
Tara was struck by how much she believed him just because he used Professor Lupin's first name. He didn't seem to her to be the sort of person who was that familiar with a person he didn't consider worthy of his time. Otherwise he would have said "Lupin", or at least sneered his way through "Remus".  
  
"It was a long time ago. It was scary, but I've learned that there are scarier things in the world than even death," Tara said, not sure why she felt it necessary to explain herself to him.  
  
"Indeed," was his reply.  
  
He stared at her a moment longer, finally turning his attention to Dawn, who was watching the conversation with one eyebrow quirked up.  
  
"I trust that this will not be a problem. Also, I would recommend keeping to the upper levels of the castle when the students return. I don't need you lurking about in my dungeons." With that, he returned to the room from which he came, the door slamming shut behind him, the noise echoing down the nearly empty hallway.  
  
"He's one to talk about lurking," Dawn grumbled.  
  
Tara just shook her head, a ghost of a smile on her face. "Come on Dawn, let's go grab some breakfast."  
  
~-~-  
  
They reached the Great Hall so late that only three other people were present. Tara noted with some interest that they were Harry Potter and the two other students in his year.  
  
"Good morning," she greeted them, sitting with Dawn on the opposite side of the table.  
  
They greeted her back, giving her curious looks. She almost laughed out loud at how obvious they were being.  
  
"Ron and Hermione, right?" Tara said, hoping to stop their staring.  
  
Hermione had the decency to look embarrassed as they nodded their confirmation, while Ron just stuffed another bite of food into his mouth.  
  
"So what's there to do around here besides the class thing?" Dawn asked, digging into her now full plate.  
  
Tara cringed as Ron took it upon himself to answer through his mouthful of half chewed food, "there's exploding snap and chess and, of course, quidditch."  
  
"What's-"  
  
"Don't' ask him what quidditch is, I beg you," Hermione interrupted.  
  
Harry and Ron shot her withering looks.  
  
She ignored them as she rose, gathering her books together. "I have to get to the library and then go see Hagrid about, er, something," she said, casting a furtive glance at Tara and Dawn, "I'll see you two later."  
  
She nodded her goodbye to the two girls as she quickly left the room.  
  
"Isn't this vacation time?" Dawn asked.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and Harry smiled, "I don't think Hermione believes in vacation time."  
  
The group fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their meal. As Ron was shoveling down his second dessert, Harry nudged him with an elbow and tilted his head toward the girls. After a second of confusion, Ron finally got the hint.  
  
"So," he said, getting their attention, "do you want to come back to our common room with us and play a game of chess? I promise to go easy on you the first time."  
  
Dawn looked to Tara, who nodded her okay.  
  
"Sure," she answered, shrugging, "it's either that or go lurk in the dungeons some more to annoy the hell out of that Snape guy."  
  
Harry and Ron grinned.  
  
"I like them already," Ron said as the group gathered up their belongings and left.  
  
"Oddsbodikins," Harry said to the figure in the portrait who was trying desperately to get his helmet off of his foot, where it appeared to be stuck.  
  
The portrait guarding Gryffindor Tower swung open and Ron and Harry led the two girls inside. The fire was roaring and the couches sitting by it were too appealing to ignore after the walk there through the cold corridors of the castle. The two students pulled off their robes, which were serving as buffers against the cold rather than uniforms over the holiday, and Tara passed out the four mugs of hot chocolate that were sitting on a nearby table.  
  
"You guys have it so good," Dawn said, cringing as the chocolate burned her tongue, then proceeding to drink it anyway.  
  
Harry smiled, "Yeah, as long as I'm not being hexed or having my death predicted, life here isn't bad."  
  
"If you can avoid Snape," added Ron.  
  
Tara frowned, "he doesn't seem too bad."  
  
Ron and Harry both choked on their drinks. Ron snorted a bit through his nose, but quickly recovered with the aid of Dawn hitting him on his back hard enough to bruise.  
  
"Yeah, he's fine if you're a Slytherin," Harry said, bitterness in his voice, "but if you're me, he's a pain in the arse."  
  
"Well, he definitely has the lurky broody thing down," said Dawn, wiping her chocolate moustache off with the back of her hand, "he reminds me of my sister's ex."  
  
Tara gave her a confused look.  
  
"Angel, not Riley," Dawn clarified.  
  
"What kind of a name is Angel? It was a boy, right?" Ron asked as he finished his cocoa, taking the cue from Dawn and wiping his face with the back of his hand.  
  
"What kind of a name is Albus?" Dawn retorted.  
  
As Ron opened his mouth to respond, Tara added, "or Hermione or Remus or Hagrid?"  
  
Ron shrugged, "they seem perfectly normal to me."  
  
"Yes, but chocolate that hops around seems normal to you. It's different in the muggle world," said Harry, glad that he could consider himself no longer a part of that world.  
  
"Well, we're not exactly typical muggles," said Tara.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, "well you are here, aren't you? Obviously you're not just regular muggles."  
  
Tara put her empty mug down, "yes, I'm a wiccan, but out world is separate from the muggle world just as much as your is. Ours is just smaller."  
  
"And not as well funded," Dawn added.  
  
"So tell us about your world," Harry said.  
  
Tara cast a dubious look at Dawn.  
  
"It's only fair," Ron spoke up, seeing the silent communication, "you get to see our world."  
  
"We won't tell anyone, except maybe Hermione, if you want to keep it a secret," Harry added, his curiosity piqued by their reluctance to talk about it.  
  
Dawn shrugged, "I don't see the big. I mean, Buffy tried the secrecy route, and we all know how that went."  
  
Tara sighed. "Okay, but this would be better if Mr. Giles were here to tell it." She resituated herself and took a deep breath.  
  
"Into every generation is born a chosen one." 


	10. A Chance Meeting

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. CinnamonGrrl - I've fixed the pants mistake. Thanks for pointing that out! I'm glad you guys like the story so far. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 10: A Chance Meeting  
  
"Can I ask you a sort of personal question?" Tara asked Harry as they sat by the fire.  
  
Ron and Dawn were currently engaged in their fifth chess game, with Ron in the lead. Dawn was catching onto his style pretty quickly, however, and was proving herself to be a worthy adversary.  
  
Harry looked at Tara warily. "Only if I can refuse to answer."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Okay then. Ask away."  
  
"Why don't you like Professor Snape?" Tara asked after a moment's hesitation. "I mean, I know he can be intimidating, that's obvious from the few conversations I've had with him, but why specifically?"  
  
For a moment they both fell silent. The only sounds in the room were the crackle of the fire and the tiny war being fought, quite literally, on the chessboard.  
  
Tara finally decided she must have overstepped her bounds. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I just-"  
  
"It's okay," Harry interrupted with a weak smile, "I was just trying to remember what it was."  
  
Tara waited patiently for him to finish.  
  
"I guess it was the first time I met him," he finally continued, "he said something obnoxious about me being a celebrity, and I could just tell that he despised me. I get the impression it's got something to do with my parents."  
  
Tara studied him for a moment, before nodding and smiling, deciding to let it go before she really did overstep her bounds.  
  
An hour later, Tara tiredly said her goodbyes to the group and left the common room after making Dawn promise that she would soon follow. She figured she should wait up to make sure Dawn did as she promised, but she honestly wasn't sure she could stay awake that long.  
  
Tara rubbed her eyes and turned a corner, stopping suddenly to look around.  
  
"Oh no," she said, scanning the nearby paintings, "this isn't right."  
  
If she were in the right hallway, the painting on her left would be a group of friendly looking elderly witches, not- was that a goat?  
  
"Brilliant," Tara muttered, trudging slowly down the hall, mulling over the idea of asking one of the portraits for directions and wondering how strange her life had to be if this seemed a normal option to consider. She stopped to look out at the large moon that bathed the grounds in a pale unearthly light. As she looked toward a small hut that sat on the edge of the forest, a sudden movement caught her eye. She squinted and leaned forward, trying to keep her breath from fogging up the glass as she peered out at the landscape. The movement came again, and she could just make out a large figure walking across the grounds, away from the castle. She wiped at the glass with her arm and tried to track the nearly invisible creature. Just as it reached the woods, a throat was cleared behind her.  
  
Tara jumped back in surprise, hitting her funnybone on the window and wincing as sharp needles of pain shot up her arm. She turned to glare at her intruder, who was revealed to be a smirking Professor Snape, standing across the hall with his arms crossed in front of him.  
  
"You're good at that," Tara said, shaking her arm to get the pain to stop,  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow at the comment.  
  
"The sneaking up thing," Tara added.  
  
Snape continued to stand where he was, not looking away from her face.  
  
"Er," Tara stammered, growing nervous under his gaze, "I saw something outside. Um, an animal I think. It was walking away from the castle." She motioned half heartedly toward the window.  
  
Snape crossed to it, studying the silent landscape, and glancing slightly at the moon. "Many creatures live in the forest," he said, turning back to her, "though they generally don't wander too close to the castle, for fear of being caught by Hagrid."  
  
"Who is he?"  
  
"The groundskeeper," Snape replied.  
  
"Hermione mentioned him earlier."  
  
Snape snorted, "Yes, well, you should be getting back to your rooms," he said, obviously dismissing her.  
  
Tara looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm not one of your students," she replied, challenge in her voice.  
  
"Of course not," Snape said, causing her to relax somewhat, "but it can be dangerous to wander these halls alone at night."  
  
"Oh," she answered, feeling a bit stupid at being so defensive around him. "Well, I would, but." she trailed off, glancing toward him sheepishly.  
  
He sighed with frustration at their unnecessarily lengthy conversation.  
  
"But what?" he finally asked.  
  
Tara's face turned pink with embarrassment. "But I seem to be lost."  
  
Snape looked at her incredulously, then sighed again. "This way," he said, and swept down the hall, robes billowing.  
  
Tara jogged to catch up, now considerably more awake.  
  
As she began to think that Snape was leading her in circles, they rounded a corner and stepped into a hallway that she finally found familiar. She let out a breath that she didn't even know she had been holding and slowed her pace. The professor slowed along with her. She looked up at him, words of thanks forming on her lips, which quickly turned into a scream as cold water drenched her from above.  
  
"Peeves!" Snape bellowed, loudly enough to make Tara jump again.  
  
She was becoming certain that this place was going to give her a heart attack before the students even came back. She began to shiver as the cold water lowered the already freezing temperature to an almost unbearable level. Snape muttered something at her, and the water vanished, leaving her clothes dry, if a little wrinkled.  
  
"D-did you do that without a wand?" Tara asked, her teeth still chattering slightly.  
  
Snape answered by revealing the tip of his wand, which was concealed in the arm of his heavy robes.  
  
Tara gave him a small smile. "Xander likes to hide stakes in his sleeves, but he usually takes so long to get them out that the fights are already over."  
  
Snape didn't reply.  
  
Tara sighed. "Thanks for drying me. Um, I think I can go the rest of the way on my own."  
  
As she turned to continue her trek back to her room, Snape's voice stopped her.  
  
"Why are you so jumpy?"  
  
She turned back to him. "Training, I guess. I've been through a lot of bad stuff the last few years."  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
Tara studied him for a moment before heading to a nearby bench and taking a seat, motioning for him to take the seat next to her. He just looked at her, standing on the opposite side of the hallway. She frowned, but continued.  
  
"Um, well, where Dawn and I are from, we kind of always have to be on guard. Sometimes I think it would be better to be one of the oblivious ones, but I know that I'd probably be dead by now if I were." She stopped when Snape crossed and sat next to her.  
  
Neither spoke, Snape studying a nearby painting, and Tara pulling at a loose thread on her skirt.  
  
She looked up as she heard the man mutter again, though this time it sounded suspiciously like "Merlin help me".  
  
He stood again, offering a hand up to Tara, who looked at him suspiciously as she took it.  
  
"You have nothing to fear at the moment, Miss Maclay," he told her, motioning for them to walk in the opposite direction of her room.  
  
She followed him in silence, casting curious glances his way during the walk. Finally he stopped in front of an ordinary wooden doorway. He opened it and motioned for her to go ahead of him inside. As she entered, torches along the walls lit up of their own accord, revealing a small room containing a few bookshelves along the walls and several small wooden tables surrounded by plush red chairs.  
  
"A reading room of sorts. Seldom used, I assure you." Snape replied to her unspoken question. "It seemed more appropriate than the middle of the hall."  
  
Tara nodded, and took a seat facing the door. Snape sat across from her, leaning back in the chair, and looking more comfortable than Tara thought possible for him. He looked much less imposing when he was not looming over her. At the moment, he seemed almost ordinary.  
  
"Um, I guess you wanted to know about the jumpy thing, right?" Tara asked, suddenly feeling compelled to talk about it.  
  
Snape smirked at her. "I'm not here for my health."  
  
Tara smirked right back at him, "why do you want me to tell you? You don't exactly seem the school counselor type."  
  
"I find you.intriguing," he answered her, in a silky tone that almost made her understand how some girls could find dangerous men attractive.  
  
Tara quirked a brow at him. "I don't see it," she said.  
  
"See what, exactly?"  
  
"Why the students are so afraid of you."  
  
Snape smiled, with a glint in his eye that reminded her of Spike when he was in the midst of verbally sparring with Buffy, and was winning.  
  
"You haven't seen me teach," he replied.  
  
Tara almost laughed out loud. She could just imagine the look on Harry's face if he could see Snape actually teasing someone. Then again, Harry would probably take his words at face value.  
  
Tara shifted into a more comfortable position, pulling her feet under her and hugging her body with her arms.  
  
"My mother was a witch. She was the one who told me about your world," she began. "My father wasn't. He didn't know about my mother's.abilities.until after I was born. He didn't take it well."  
  
Snape nodded, waiting patiently for her to continue.  
  
"He convinced me that my mom was part demon, and that's why she had power. Really, he was just scared of her. Long story short, I was convinced I was part demon and that my new friends, my only friends really, would find out. Dawn and the others, I mean. I did a spell that went wrong and almost got them killed, but they accepted me anyway. They saw my dad's story for what it was. Something that had been made up to keep the women in my family from going off on their own and having their own lives. The Scoobies, um, that is Dawn, Anya, Mr. Giles, Buffy, Riley, Xander, and Willow-" Snape noticed Tara flinch as she said this last name and filed that information away to ponder later, "and Spike sort of, they became my new family. And it was good for awhile."  
  
Tara pulled her feet out from under her. "And then the whole thing with Glory happened. I did something stupid. I got in a fight and went off on my own and Glory found me."  
  
Snape's sudden intake of breath was loud enough in the empty room for Tara to hear it.  
  
"Yeah," she said, "but she wanted to send a message, so I didn't die, just had my sanity stolen from me." She stopped, shuddering as she remembered sitting on a park bench on a beautiful sunny day, in the midst of a happy crowd, and being the most scared she had ever been in her life. Even the pain of a broken hand had not distracted her from her fear for an instant.  
  
Snape cleared his throat, bringing her out of her memories.  
  
"If you would like to stop here-"  
  
"No." Tara interrupted him forcefully, give him an apologetic look as surprise flashed across his face, "sorry, I just think it'll help to tell you all of it. I've never really."  
  
She knew he understood, even if she didn't say it.  
  
"Willow brought me back. She faced Glory and risked her own life to bring me back. She did more for me than I ever thought-" she broke off again, this time with tears threatening to spill. "Anyway, once Willow touched that kind of power, she couldn't let it go. She got power faster than she learned control. And less than a year later she started using her power to try to fix everything that she considered wrong in her life, including me."  
  
Tara's voice had died down to a near whisper as she spoke this last part.  
  
They sat in silence, the only sound a far off howl.  
  
Snape stood, again offering Tara his hand. This time she took it without hesitation.  
  
She smiled, wiping a stray tear off of her cheek. "Thanks for listening."  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
"I've never talked about Willow with anyone, even Dawn, though I know she wishes I would tell her what's going on. I feel like I can trust you."  
  
Snape removed his hand from hers, his expression darkening.  
  
"Don't." was all he said, before ushering her out of the room. 


	11. One Last Reprieve

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. (you rock, CinnamonGrrl ) I'm glad you guys like the story so far. The next chapter should be up next weekend Next chapter- the students return.  
  
Chapter 11: One Last Reprieve  
  
A few weeks later found Tara sitting in front of the dying fire, rereading a short note in her hand for the tenth time. She put it down, sighing, as she realized that reading it again wouldn't change what it said. She glanced over at the large package it had arrived with, a frown on her face. The frown was quickly concealed as the portrait covering the doorway opened and Dawn stepped into the room.  
  
"Hey Dawnie," Tara greeted her, as Dawn immediately headed to the package, studying the writing on it.  
  
"Is this from Buffy?" the younger girl asked, frowning and holding it up to further inspect it.  
  
"Yes," replied Tara, "it came with this." She held the note up for Dawn, who grabbed it and quickly read it.  
  
Tara was surprised at Dawn's reaction, or rather lack of reaction, to the new information. She looked questioningly at the teenager, who shrugged.  
  
"So we have to stay here awhile. No big. I mean, sure, I miss tv, but I have a feeling that once the students return, real life will be more interesting."  
  
Tara gave her a small smile. Dawn grinned back and tore into the package from home, muttering "oh thank god" when she discovered that it contained most of her wardrobe and a few odds and ends that she had begun to miss desperately.  
  
"Just in time for cute boys," she said to herself as she found a bag full of her makeup and hair products.  
  
Tara had turned back to the fire when Dawn got her attention and handed her an envelope.  
  
"I think it's from Willow," she said, grabbing her pile of clothing and leaving the room, giving the older girl some privacy.  
  
Tara looked at the envelope in her hand with a mixture of curiosity and dread. Finally, she jumped up from her cozy seat by the fire and went to her large bedroom, shutting the door and collapsing against it. She turned the envelope over and over in her hands, still contemplating opening it.  
  
"Too soon," she muttered to herself, hiding the letter in her nearby desk drawer.  
  
When it was finally out of sight, she sat heavily in her plush desk chair, letting out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding. A quiet knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Tara," Dawn said in a hesitant tone, "are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Dawn," replied Tara, grinning despite herself at the younger girl's concern.  
  
"Dumbledore is out here. He wanted to talk to us," Dawn continued, her tone relaxing a small amount.  
  
Tara frowned before leaving the safety of her bedroom to see what the Headmaster wanted.  
  
"I hope your stay has been pleasant thus far," Professor Dumbledore began, once they had all taken a seat around the revived fire.  
  
Tara and Dawn nodded their affirmation, Dawn biting her lip with curiosity while Tara just looked concerned.  
  
Dumbledore sipped his glass of hot tea that Tara assumed had been delivered before she returned to the common room.  
  
He finally set his drink down and turned his attention back to the guests, his expression serious.  
  
"Now that you will be staying for an undetermined amount of time, I feel that it is best you be informed of a few things going on in our world that may present a problem at some point in the future."  
  
Tara's stomach started to protest as her nervousness at the Headmaster's words grew.  
  
"I was first hoping for any information you may have found concerning young Mister Potter."  
  
Tara tried to remember what she had read about him when they had been researching one demon or another a few months prior. "Um, I remember that he was involved in a prophecy. I can't remember the exact wording. I'm sure Mr. Giles could look it up for you if you contacted him-"  
  
Dumbledore held up a hand, "no, no, that won't be necessary. I believe I already know of the prophecy of which you speak, though I will ask him about it when I next see him. Is that all?"  
  
Tara looked at Dawn, who shrugged.  
  
"Yes, I think so. I only remember reading about him a few times. The prophecy and a few books on the recent history of the wizarding world. The information about how he got his scar."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, still serious. "Yes, then I believe you know everything about him you need to know. Although, there is another matter related to Harry that you should be informed of."  
  
Tara and Dawn looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Recently, a man escaped from a wizarding prison who was responsible, in part, for the deaths of Harry's parents. He is currently a fugitive and believed to possibly be looking for Harry."  
  
The girls gasped, obviously concerned for their new friend.  
  
Dumbledore gave them a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, as long as he is in my care, I shall do everything in my power to ensure his safety. I am, however, leaving a picture of the man with you, and I ask that you report anything out of the ordinary that you may witness during your stay."  
  
Tara was tempted to laugh at his last statement, considering how out of the ordinary the whole situation was. Although, considering they were the guests, she could imagine quite a few students reporting her and Dawn and suspicious.  
  
Dawn took the picture and placed it on a table near the sofa for later inspection.  
  
Instantly, Dumbledore's entire demeanor changed, and the tension dissipated from the room.  
  
"So, how are you getting on with the remaining students? I daresay a few young Gryffindors have taken a liking to Miss Summers?" Dumbledore asked, with what could almost be called a cheerful smirk on his face.  
  
Dawn grinned, "Harry and Ron are cool. I can't wait for the students to come back, though. It'll be great to meet some people my age."  
  
Tara laughed, "Dawn, they're barely younger than you."  
  
Dawn pouted, "Girls mature faster than boys."  
  
"So why don't you try talking to Hermione?"  
  
"She's never around," Dawn replied, shrugging, "and when she is, she's always got her face in a book."  
  
The Headmaster laughed, "Yes, that does sound like her. You will be pleased to know, then, that the students return very soon."  
  
"How soon?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Tomorrow," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Dawn gasped. "Tomorrow?!" she squealed, causing Tara to cringe. "Oh my god, I have to go figure out what I'm gonna wear!"  
  
She jumped up from the sofa and disappeared into her bedroom, letting the door slam shut behind her.  
  
Tara smiled at Professor Dumbledore apologetically.  
  
Dumbledore just chuckled quietly at Dawn's display. He turned to Tara. "And you, Miss Maclay, I daresay you will be relieved to have the school bustling with activity?"  
  
"It will be nice to have more people around," Tara replied. "I was starting to get kind of stir-crazy."  
  
Dumbledore smiled at her, "it will be hard for you, since you are slightly older than even the oldest students. Perhaps we can find something to occupy your time."  
  
Tara shrugged, "no, it's okay. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm just frustrated that I can't do anything to help Dawn. I guess I'm used to demon fighting involving actual fighting rather than waiting."  
  
Dumbledore gave her an assessing look, almost to the point of making Tara uncomfortable.  
  
Finally he spoke, "perhaps you would like to learn some of our ways of performing magic. You cannot use a wand, but there are other skills to be explored."  
  
Tara found herself excited for the first time in weeks. "Like what?"  
  
"What do you know of potions?"  
  
"Oh," Tara said. She studied the Headmaster for a moment.  
  
Dumbledore looked back at her calmly, though there was what could possibly be the slightest hint of mischief in his eye.  
  
"Potion making sounds interesting," Tara finally answered, smirking.  
  
The Headmaster looked surprised for a second, before he covered it with a serious expression. "You would have to work with Severus. He has been busy with a project, but he will be finished in time for his first classes."  
  
It was Tara's turn look surprised.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Perhaps you thought he was avoiding you?"  
  
"Now why would I think that, Professor?" Tara asked, the smirk returning.  
  
The Headmaster winked at her. He nodded and moved to leave. Just as he was stepping outside, he turned back to Tara.  
  
"I do believe this may prove to be an exciting school term," he said, leaving the blonde girl with a bemused expression on her face.  
  
~-~-~-~-  
  
When Tara walked into her and Dawn's living area the next morning, she was pleasantly surprised to discover a watcher in wrinkled clothes asleep on their sofa.  
  
Giles opened his eyes as she took a seat in a nearby chair. He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth, grinning sheepishly.  
  
"Good morning. I didn't realize I was so tired."  
  
Tara smiled, "it's okay. I'm glad you're here. Dawn will be happy to see you."  
  
Giles sat up and stretched, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.  
  
"Um, did you find out anything about Dawn's situation?" Tara finally asked, cringing at how loud her voice sounded in the quiet room.  
  
Giles sighed, "Unfortunately, no. But Buffy is still working on it, and I have several sources researching for us. We'll find him soon enough."  
  
Before Tara could reply, Dawn trudged out of her room, stopping when she saw Giles. A smile lit up her face as she greeted him.  
  
"You came back just in time!" she exclaimed, dropping down into the seat next to him.  
  
"Just in time for what?"  
  
"The students return today," Tara informed him.  
  
Giles nodded. "and what do you two plan to do once classes resume for everyone around you?"  
  
"I'm gonna ask Professor Dumbledore if I can sit in on some classes," Dawn replied, clearly excited at the prospect of witnessing wizard training.  
  
Giles laughed, "just stay out of trouble."  
  
Dawn glared in reply.  
  
"And you?" Giles asked Tara, ignoring Dawn's irritation.  
  
"I was thinking about private tutoring of sorts. The Headmaster suggested I spend time with some of the Professors who teach magic that doesn't require a wand. It could be fun, and maybe even useful for when we get back to Sunnydale."  
  
"Indeed," Giles replied. "That sounds like a good plan."  
  
Dawn yawned and hopped up from her seat, heading off to the bathroom to get ready for the day.  
  
"Did you want to go down to breakfast with the others?" Tara asked Giles after his stomach made a particularly loud grumbling noise.  
  
He smiled ruefully, "I was rather hoping I could persuade you to have breakfast here this morning."  
  
"Why here?"  
  
"Well, for the next few months, assuming you are here that long, there will be dozens of children everywhere you go."  
  
Tara nodded, rolling her eyes in agreement.  
  
Giles grinned. "Let's just call it a last bid for peace before the headaches set in." 


	12. Harbinger

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. (shout out to mary) The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 12: Harbinger  
  
Tara tried to ignore the curious stares she was receiving as she wandered toward the Great Hall in search of Dawn. She was stopped suddenly by someone stepping directly into her path. She almost fell over as she tried to keep herself from plowing into the figure.  
  
"Miss Maclay," a surly Professor Snape said, reaching a hand out to keep her from falling backward into some nervous looking fourth years, who quickly scampered off when the Potions Professor threw a scowl their way.  
  
"Professor Snape," Tara acknowledged, once she had regained her balance.  
  
He took his hand off of her arm and motioned for her to follow him to the side of the hall and out of the main flow of loud laughing students, eager to see each other after the long holiday break.  
  
"Albus came to me earlier today with an interesting request," Snape said, the scowl still plastered to his face.  
  
"Oh," Tara replied, growing more irritated with the curious glances from the passing students every second, "I was planning to talk to you about that, but I haven't seen you."  
  
Tara could have sworn that Snape flinched at this last statement, but if he did, he recovered quickly, his expression become slightly less severe.  
  
Tara glanced around at some passing students, a scowl to rival the Potions Professor's beginning to appear on her face.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Snape hissed at her, grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to face him.  
  
Tara's eyes widened for a second, as Snape looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "Sorry, I'm just not used to people staring at me."  
  
Snape continued to study her.  
  
"Kinda like you're doing now," she muttered, avoiding his gaze.  
  
Finally, Snape let go of her shoulder, clearing his throat. "I apologize."  
  
Tara shrugged, "it's okay."  
  
They were interrupted by a loud shout from the end of the hall that caused most of the hall's occupants to stop their conversations and look around quizzically.  
  
"Tara!" the source of the shout exclaimed again.  
  
Tara spotted Dawn walking quickly toward her, an entourage of redheads in her wake.  
  
"Hey Dawnie, hi Ron," Tara greeted them when the group reached her.  
  
Dawn gave her an enthusiastic greeting in return, but Ron's was more of a mumble, due in part to his apparent concentration on avoiding Professor Snape's notice.  
  
"This is Fred and George," Dawn told Tara, motioning to the identical boys behind her.  
  
Tara studied them for a moment, a serious expression on her face. "You two look like troublemakers," she said, ignoring Snape's sudden coughing fit behind her.  
  
The two boys changed their expressions to mock outrage.  
  
"She thinks we're troublemakers, Fred," the one on the left said.  
  
"I'm appalled," the one on the right answered.  
  
Tara tried to keep the serious expression on her face, but she couldn't hold onto it any longer. She finally broke into a grin.  
  
"The Headmaster told me about you two," Tara said, causing Dawn to look surprised, "or should I say, warned?"  
  
"You probably should, at that," the one on the left, who was probably George, replied.  
  
Dawn began to pout, "How come Dumbledore didn't say anything to me?"  
  
"The warning included you," Tara replied, still grinning.  
  
She jumped as Snape cleared his throat, making her realize that he was still waiting to talk to her.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Hey Dawn, I have to talk to Professor Snape for a minute."  
  
"That's cool," Dawn replied, "We were gonna hang out in the rooms for a little while."  
  
"Okay, I'll meet you back there," Tara said, smiling as Dawn waved and dragged the boys along behind her.  
  
"So, um, it's okay, right?" Tara asked Snape as she turned her attention back to him.  
  
"I don't believe that spending time with the Weasley twins is ever okay."  
  
"No, I mean." Tara trailed off as she realized that Professor Snape was teasing her, a smirk on his face. She smirked back at him. "I was hoping to maybe sit in on one of your classes, if that's not a problem."  
  
"Why?" Snape asked, the smirk leaving his face as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
Tara frowned, "I, um, want to get a feel for your teaching style. I did it with a few classes back in Sunnydale when I didn't know the professor."  
  
The smirk was back on Snape's face as he nodded in understanding, "Yes, well, I can assure you that my teaching style around these.children" this last word carried a note of disgust, "is completely different from teaching someone who is even the least bit competent."  
  
Tara laughed, "was that a compliment?"  
  
"I shall discuss this idea with Albus a bit more and get back to you," Snape said with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Okay. I better get back to my rooms before Dawn does some serious damage."  
  
"Good day," Snape said, stalking off toward the Great Hall, his robes billowing behind him, students giving him a wide berth.  
  
Tara watched him disappear around the corner, before heading in the opposite direction.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
After a long day of curious stares and less than subtle gossiping surrounding her, Tara decided to take advantage of the fact that she wasn't a student, and therefore didn't have a curfew, and headed outside the school for a walk around the grounds. She was having trouble sleeping, contemplating the letter calling to her from her desk drawer, begging to be opened. She already knew exactly what it would say, but knowing and reading were two different things. She could tell herself a million times that Willow needed to be by herself for a while in order to get a grasp on her powers, but if she had to read a letter full of assurances and pleading, she wasn't certain that she wouldn't hop on the next plane back to California.  
  
She sighed and pulled her jacket tighter around her, breathing in the frigid night air. The only sound was the wind whipping through the trees of the nearby forest. She headed down to the lake, trying to ignore the large willow tree that she could see in the distance.  
  
"Just a tree," she mumbled to herself, turning her back to it, and therefore not noticing the dark figure that passed under it, seemingly disappearing into its depths.  
  
She stopped when she reached the shore of the lake, taking a seat on a nearby rock. She was immediately lost in thought about Dawn's situation and life in Sunnydale in general. The figure standing behind her finally had to clear his throat to get her attention.  
  
Tara jumped in surprise and quickly whipped around, relaxing when she saw who it was.  
  
"Mr. Giles, you scared me."  
  
Giles smiled apologetically, taking a seat next to Tara on her rock after she motioned to it. "So sorry."  
  
Giles studied Tara for a moment as she stared out across the lake, watching the surface change as something moved around just beneath it.  
  
"What's wrong, Tara?" the Watched finally asked, turning to her with a concerned expression.  
  
Tara gave him a weak smile, "nothing really, just worried about Dawn and." she trailed off.  
  
"Willow." Giles filled in the rest of the thought.  
  
Tara nodded, sighing.  
  
Giles patted her hand, "Willow's strong. She's made it this far, I'm sure she'll be okay. I worry about her too, but I think you did the right thing by leaving. She needed something like that to realize that she had a problem. I tried to talk to her about it so many times, but she never really heard me. I couldn't get through to her like you did."  
  
Tara's expression brightened a little. "Thank you. I know, I just worry. I can't help it."  
  
Giles put an arm around her, and they both turned toward the lake, watching it in silence as they became lost in their separate thoughts.  
  
The sounds of a struggle coming from the direction of the forest pulled them out of their reverie. They were both on their feet in an instant, running toward the sounds with speed and stealth learned through years of practice on a hellmouth.  
  
Giles held up a hand and Tara stopped behind him as they both peered into the trees, trying to locate the source of the sounds. Giles motioned to Tara, and they slowly headed in opposite directions, still peering through the trees toward the barely visible scuffle.  
  
As Tara walked past a particularly large tree trunk, she had a clear view of two people fighting. She couldn't see the person on the gorund, but the person still standing turned toward her long enough for her to get a good look at his face. His ugly, bumpy, most definitely vampiric face.  
  
*You can take the people out of Sunnydale.* she thought to herself, fighting the urge to laugh at the ridiculous ability of a Scooby to attract a vampire, even when thousands of miles from home.  
  
She looked around on the ground by her feet for something wooden and sharp, panic growing as she found nothing but twigs. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught movement, and seconds later Giles burst through the trees across the way and grabbed the vampire, throwing him into a nearby branch, using the element of surprise to gain the upper hand. Tara hurried into the fray, grabbing a smooth length of wood that looked solid enough to penetrate the demon's chest. She turned it over in her hand, realizing with surprise that it was in fact a wand, and glancing over at the form that lay on the ground, unmoving. She couldn't see any details, as his back was to her, but she realized, with growing dread, that it could only be the Potions Professor. As she began to contemplate how a wizard had been taken down by a mere vampire, her attention was dragged back to the fight at hand by Giles's shout for help.  
  
Just as Tara reached him, Giles was thrown backward into the same low branch that he threw the vampire into moments before, hitting his head and falling to the ground. Tara used that moment to lunge at the demon, driving the wand into his back and falling face-first onto the hard ground as the vampire's body disappeared into a cloud of dust.  
  
She groaned and rolled over, coughing as a handful of the dust settled in her throat. Grimacing, she pushed herself into a sitting position, resting for a moment to regain her breath and make sure all of her limbs were in proper working order. She jumped back as a hand appeared in front of her face.  
  
Tara looked up to discover a bedraggled Professor Snape frowning down at her. She grabbed his hand and smiled gratefully as he helped her to her feet. He let go of her and went over to check on the now unconscious Watcher.  
  
"He will be fine, I think," he said, after checking for a pulse and examining his head wound.  
  
As Snape was standing back up, Tara noticed him sway a bit on his feet. She managed to reach him right before he fell to the ground, slowing his descent as best she could before he too lost consciousness.  
  
Tara looked at the two men at her feet and sighed. "Well, this is fun." 


	13. Played Out

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 13: Played Out  
  
Tara looked around, a feeling of dread building as she tried to figure out how she was going to get two grown men, both of whom were possibly seriously injured, all the way back to the school. She sat on the ground and mentally ran through possible spells until she decided on a basic levitation spell that only required some chanting and a lot of focused energy. As she began to quietly chant a few short memorized Latin phrases, first one, then both of the men began to levitate until they were as high as Tara's shoulders, their bodies stiff as boards, slightly swaying in the cold breeze.  
  
Tara slowly stood, wrapping her coat around herself, never breaking the chant. The words became almost musical as she repeated them over and over. She stayed behind the men as she levitated their still unconscious bodies out of the forest and toward the looming castle.  
  
As she trudged determinedly across the grounds, her breathing began to get more ragged with the intense amount of effort she was using to move both men at once. Their bodies drifted lower as her concentration wavered, until she finally had to stop, slowly lowering the men onto the frozen ground, with the front doors clearly in view.  
  
Tara rubbed her eyes and sat down once more, gathering her energy again. She let out a frustrated groan at how much farther she had to take them, knowing she couldn't just leave them by themselves while she went to get help. As she debated the idea of running to get the groundskeeper while keeping the two bodies in her line of sight so that one of them could watch the men and one could fetch help, a small noise alerted her to the fact that someone else was present.  
  
"Bless you," Tara said as she heard a second sneeze, peering nervously into the darkness surrounding her.  
  
"Thank you," a voice responded automatically.  
  
A very familiar voice.  
  
Tara stood up hesitantly. "Ron?"  
  
The only reply was the far off howl of some wild animal and her own labored breathing.  
  
"Please, whoever you are," Tara said, still looking around for the source of the voice, "I need help."  
  
There was silence a moment longer, and then Tara almost screamed as one, then two heads appeared a short ways away, floating next to Giles. The heads quickly turned into bodies, and Tara hesitated for only a moment before she decided that explanations could wait.  
  
"Harry, you go get the nurse. Ron, go get the Headmaster. Quickly. They've already been out longer than I'd like."  
  
Both boys nodded before disappearing again, this time into the school.  
  
Tara kneeled next to Giles, muttering some more Latin under her breath and touching his head, hoping that she had enough energy left to heal his wound a bit before the cavalry arrived. She continued doing this at several points around his head for what seemed like hours, until finally the front doors burst open and Harry and the Headmaster hurried over to her side.  
  
Tara gave the young student a quizzical look.  
  
Harry shrugged, "I've been to the Headmaster's office before. Ron went to get Madam Pomfrey."  
  
Tara nodded as the doors again burst open, this time revealing the two people in question.  
  
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Pomfrey as she ran over to a now slightly conscious Giles.  
  
Everyone watched in silence as she looked him over, and then moved on to the still unconscious Professor Snape.  
  
Finally she told Dumbledore that they needed to be moved indoors immediately, and the Headmaster nodded, looking slightly confused about the whole situation, much to Tara's surprise. With a flick of his wrist, the Headmaster had both men in the air again, this time Giles's quiet groans filling the air. Tara followed the group into the school, her fatigue starting to set in, as she wished for nothing more than to curl up in her warm bed and sleep for a week. She knew, however, that first some explanations would have to be passed around.  
  
As they reached the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey started to make the new patients more comfortable, Tara pulled Harry off to the side.  
  
"You can make yourself invisible?" she asked.  
  
Harry looked suddenly nervous, and Ron's eyes grew wide as he too heard the question from his spot closer to the beds. As Tara wondered if she said something wrong, Ron sent a few furtive glances around, relaxing after he saw that Pomfrey was busy with Giles and Dumbledore either didn't hear or was pointedly ignoring the conversation for some reason.  
  
Harry pulled Tara back out of the room as subtly as he could.  
  
Tara smiled at him with confusion, "I'm sorry if I said something wrong, I just didn't know that you could turn invisible. Are you not supposed to or something?"  
  
"Er," Harry began nervously, "well, see, the thing is, um." he looked down the hall for a second before reaching into his robes and pulling out a large piece of pretty, slightly shimmery material.  
  
He held it up for Tara to see, allowing her to touch it, but not letting go of it. As she turned it over in her hands, which suddenly weren't there anymore, she let out a gasp.  
  
"Oh, this is amazing."  
  
Harry beamed for a moment, before his nervousness took over again.  
  
"Um, it's kind of a secret," he said, looking at her expectantly, biting his bottom lip.  
  
"Okay," replied Tara, "I won't tell anyone, I promise. After all, it helped me out tonight."  
  
Harry visibly relaxed and the smile reappeared on his face.  
  
"I trust you," he said, leading Tara back inside, not noticing her brief frown.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Within a few minutes, both injured men had regained consciousness, though Giles had a concussion and Snape was suffering from unusually high blood loss. After he had been assured that the men would be fine, Dumbledore began sorting out what had happened leading up to his own involvement in the night.  
  
Professor Snape spoke in a hoarse voice, explaining all of the details of the attack that he could remember. Tara was surprised to learn that his encounter was a typical Sunnydale vampire attack- the usual growling and lunging, and a significant lack of useful threats or mentions of an evil mastermind.  
  
"It's a warning," Giles spoke up after Snape had finished talking.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, I believe it is. As we've never had problems with vampires before, I'm afraid we must consider the possibility that your demon suspects Dawn's presence at the school."  
  
After looking sharply over at Harry and Ron, Snape scowled as he realized that their lack of confusion meant they must have already been informed of Dawn and Tara's situation.  
  
Tara glanced over to see the Headmaster looking her way, and realized it was time for her recounting of events. She quickly confirmed the part Snape had already run through, then continuing with her attempt to get the unconscious men to the infirmary, glossing over the part where Harry and Ron were invisible. Unfortunately for the two boys, Snape wasn't quite as willing to ignore their involvement.  
  
"Why were you two out of your room after curfew?" Snape demanded in as strong a voice as he could muster.  
  
"Er-" was all Ron could say, before swallowing loudly and deferring to Harry.  
  
Harry, looking just as nervous, and slightly nauseous, managed to form a coherent statement. "We were going to say hello to Hagrid, but, um, he was asleep, so we were on our way back to our room when Tara heard, er, I mean, saw us passing by."  
  
Snape scrutinized the nervous boys for a long moment, finally rasping out "twenty points each from Gryffindor for being out of your room after curfew. Especially with your current situation, Mister Potter."  
  
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Harry elbowed him in the side, nodding to a now exhausted looking Professor Snape.  
  
As Tara observed the entire interaction, she began to realize exactly how different Snape the person and Snape the professor must be. She couldn't help but smile at the Potion Master's irritated expression moments later when Dumbledore ushered the boys out of the room, warning them of the dangers of being out alone, then awarding them twenty points each for "staying calm in the midst of a confusing situation".  
  
"He always does that," Snape muttered, causing Tara's grin to grow.  
  
After Giles had retreated to the nearest shower to prepare for his mandatory overnight stay in the infirmary and Pomfrey disappeared into an adjoining room that Tara assumed was her office, Tara bid the professor goodnight and began to leave.  
  
"Miss Maclay," came an almost whisper from behind her.  
  
Tara turned around to see Snape struggling to a sitting position. She walked back over to his bed, waiting patiently for him to continue. Finally, he found a comfortable position and looked up at her, his expression unreadable.  
  
"I must apologize," he began.  
  
Tara raised a questioning eyebrow.  
  
Snape sighed, "I seem to have underestimated your abilities. From what knowledge I have of Wiccan magic, levitating two grown men all the way across the grounds must have taken an enormous amount of power. Not to mention your quick defeat of the vampire, which I would like to discuss with you later."  
  
Tara shrugged, ducking her head in embarrassment, "not really. I know people who are much more powerful."  
  
"That doesn't make you less so," Snape replied, frowning.  
  
He studied her face for a moment, while she struggled to keep herself from breaking his gaze. Finally, he looked away, lying back down. Tara headed toward the hallway.  
  
"Thank you," Snape said as she reached the door.  
  
Tara turned around, but the professor's eyes were closed and he appeared to already be asleep, his long black hair covering half of his face.  
  
"You're welcome," Tara replied softly, leaving the room. 


	14. Mixing Signals

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 14: Mixing Signals  
  
Tara stifled her laughter as over a dozen pairs of eyes glanced her way with curiosity. She took a seat in the back of the classroom and made a big show of organizing her skirt and then her supplies. Just as she got her pen to be at an exact ninety degree angle to her spiral notebook, muttering to herself about picking up too many Willowisms, the classroom door flew open and the children around her shrank back as their professor strode in.  
  
His double-take was almost invisible to the naked eye, but Tara was waiting for it, so the split-second hesitation did not go unnoticed. Less than a minute into the lesson, she was already amused at his drastically different teacher persona, albeit a persona that was probably somewhat subdued by his recent injuries.  
  
Professor Snape loomed over the brave, or just unlucky, students in the front row, explaining the potion of the day in excruciating detail. Tara was too busy scribbling notes and comparing the current potion to ones she knew to notice the professor's frequent gaze toward the back of the room. By the time he had finished his lecture, Tara was certain her hand was going to fall off. She was also eternally grateful to Buffy for sending a box of ballpoint pens. How the students managed to take notes for all their classes with a quill and parchment was beyond her.  
  
The blonde girl flipped back through her pages of notes and shook her hand out, regaining circulation, as the students heated up their cauldrons and began working on the assignment. A shadow passed over her desk, and she lifted her head to see a very imposing and suddenly very tall Professor Snape looking down his nose at her, one eyebrow raised in either curiosity or challenge.  
  
*Knowing him, probably both,* Tara thought, giving him a lopsided grin.  
  
"Miss Maclay," Snape said, in a low voice, "may I see you outside for a moment?"  
  
She briefly wondered what he would do if she said no, before nodding and closing her notebook. She dropped her pen on top and followed him out into the hallway.  
  
"I wasn't aware that you would be sitting in on one of my classes so soon," said Snape, the moment the door had shut behind them, "I only informed Albus of my decision this morning."  
  
Tara smiled at him sheepishly, "I was excited about learning potions. Or, er, doing something outside of my room in general."  
  
A flicker of a smile appeared on the professor's face, and Tara relaxed, now knowing that he wasn't angry, just surprised.  
  
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I didn't mean to be rude."  
  
Snape sighed, running a hand through his lank hair. "Yes, well, perhaps Miss Summers should have taken a lesson from you before she assumed herself into this morning's lesson with the Weasleys. As if two of them weren't enough," he muttered this last part to himself.  
  
The smile on Tara's face changed into a smirk. "If it's any consolation, I think my appearance made your students extra tense today."  
  
Snape now seemed to be wrestling with a full-on grin.  
  
Encouraged, Tara continued, "I don't know about the whole Ravenclaw equals smart assessment."  
  
"And why is that?" asked Snape, once he had managed to get a half scowl back on his face.  
  
"Not one of them thought to just ask me what I was doing here." Tara said, furrowing her brow. "Maybe I intimidate them. Am I intimidating?"  
  
Professor Snape snorted, and turned back toward the door, narrowing his eyes at the muffled conversations that could be heard from inside. He raised an eyebrow at Tara, who simply grinned back at him. After taking a moment to place a scowl securely on his face, he slammed the door open and stalked back into the classroom, Tara on his heels. Her smile went unnoticed by the students, who were now scrambling to look busy and avoid the professor's wrath.  
  
~-~-~-~-  
  
Since Snape appeared to have his hands full with a group of Hufflepuffs who had managed to spill their potion all over their workspace by the end of class, Tara decided to talk to him at the end of the day. She left the classroom and headed back to her suite.  
  
She entered the common room to find a brunette and two redheads huddled in front of a roaring fire, talking quietly. Tara cleared her throat and tried to imitate Professor Snape's scowl as all three heads turned sharply in her direction.  
  
"Bloody hell," one of the redheads stage whispered to Dawn, "is she secretly related to Snape?"  
  
"Ew!" Dawn exclaimed, slapping the twin on the arm.  
  
Tara couldn't hold onto the stern expression any longer, and it changed to an amused frown as she took a seat next to the silent twin on the sofa.  
  
"He's not so bad, you know," she said, closing her eyes and letting the fire warm her.  
  
When she opened her eyes, three people were staring at her in incredulous shock.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Tara turned her attention to Dawn, "why are you shocked? He didn't kick you out of class this morning, did he? And you didn't even ask him if it was okay first."  
  
The three teenagers grumbled their agreement.  
  
"Anyway," Dawn spoke up after a moment, her irritation instantly forgotten, "Fred and George here have invited us to sit with them at dinner tonight."  
  
Dawn gave Tara puppy dog eyes and elbowed the twin next to her, who tried to imitate the pathetic look to some success.  
  
Tara laughed. "You don't have to bribe me, Dawnie. You can go if you want. You're not a prisoner here."  
  
"I know," Dawn said, a satisfied grin on her face, "I just wanted you to come along. We have to face the students together. Like a united American front."  
  
"Muggle American," the twin next to Tara corrected.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Dawn replied, still looking at Tara expectantly.  
  
Tara feigned serious thought for a moment, finally letting Dawn off the hook and agreeing to go.  
  
Dawn squealed a bit, much to everyone's dismay, and dragged the twins out of the room, presumably to wreak more havoc on the unsuspecting school. Though, judging by the way everyone talked about the Weasley twins, Tara thought that the school might be suspecting by now.  
  
Just as she was getting used to the wonderful silence of the Dawnless room, the portrait opened and Giles entered.  
  
"Hi Mr. Giles," Tara greeted him as he took a seat in a nearby chair.  
  
"Good afternoon, Tara," Giles replied, taking his glasses off to clean them.  
  
"Did Dawn ask you about dinner too?"  
  
Giles smiled, "ah yes, but of course, I already had lunch in the Great Hall."  
  
"Oh." Tara frowned, "I guess Dawnie and I were just a little worried about everyone's reaction if we just forced ourselves in and expected the students to deal with it."  
  
Giles looked at Tara curiously.  
  
When he didn't say anything, Tara began to fidget. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "What?"  
  
"I don't think Dawn is having much of a problem in that respect," he replied, trying to soften his gaze a bit, "but then, she is the same age as some of the students, so she can almost pass for one of them."  
  
Tara shrugged, "the ones I've met have been nice enough, I'm just not really enthusiastic about making new friends here."  
  
"Understandable," Giles said, nodding, "you are older than them, and you do have your own problems to wrestle with at the moment. Just remember that the students aren't the enemy. Most of them are simply children who have a certain gift."  
  
Tara studied him for a moment, "Most of them?"  
  
Giles blinked, thinking back over his words, "Er, I suppose I'm just as wary of them as you." He grinned sheepishly, "one mustn't be too careful just because one happens to not be over a hellmouth at the time."  
  
Tara smiled and hugged Giles, who patted her head affectionately.  
  
"You'll be fine. Just be yourself, and the time will pass easily."  
  
~-~-~-  
  
By the time dinner rolled around, Tara had convinced herself that she could get through it unscathed, even though it meant being the center of attention - very large attention - for the entire meal. She reasoned with herself that after a few awkward meals, she, Dawn, and Giles would become regular fixtures in the Great Hall, and eventually blend into the background just like everything else. This logic almost got rid of all of her nervousness. Almost.  
  
She put away the spellbook she was in the middle of studying as a loud knock sounded on the door. It was followed by enough little knocks to drive her insane before she finally pushed the portrait open, almost knocking down the entire group waiting outside. She gave an irritated look to the twin who was nursing his bumped head, before motioning for them to all come inside.  
  
The new arrivals stood around nervously as Tara disappeared into Dawn's room to inform her that it was time to go. When she got back to the common room, the quiet conversation died off.  
  
Tara smiled nervously at a boy and girl she didn't recognize, before turning to one of the twins and giving him an expectant look. He just looked back at her confused, until the girl elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"Ow! What?" he said, irritated.  
  
The girl scowled at him and motioned to Tara.  
  
"Oh!" he said, his face turning red, "Erm, I suppose introductions are in order?"  
  
The girl rolled her eyes and smiled at Tara, extending a hand, which Tara shook lightly.  
  
"I'm Angelina," the girl said.  
  
Tara smiled back at her, "Tara. Pleased to m-meet you."  
  
Inwardly, she cursed herself for being so nervous around people that were Dawn's age.  
  
The boy stepped forward and introduced himself as Oliver. Tara greeted him, and then the room lapsed back into uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Um, so, " Oliver said, in an obvious attempt to lessen the awkwardness, "Fred here said that Dawn's interested in learning about quidditch."  
  
"Oh," Tara replied, "um, I guess. I haven't really talked to her about that."  
  
The silence descended on the room once more.  
  
Tara almost breathed an audible sigh of relief when Dawn finally joined them. The younger girl didn't seem to notice the awkwardness of the situation as she loudly greeted her four new friends, before the group left to make their way down to the Great Hall.  
  
Tara couldn't help but feel relieved that Dawn had made friends so easily. The group was boisterous in a way that only a group of happy school friends could be. They were joined by numerous Gryffindors on their way to dinner, including Ron, who greeted Tara with a large smile. The quiet blonde began to relax as no one in the group looked at her strangely, seemingly accepting her at face value despite her lack of school uniform. By the time they had reached the Great Hall, she was laughing along with them, finally feeling a part of something.  
  
She managed to keep herself from staring at the floor as she entered the hall behind Dawn. All eyes were on them, and the chattering died down significantly. Dawn went off to the side to join the twins at the Gryffindor table, motioning for Tara to follow. Tara took a seat toward the end of the long table, near the raised teacher's table, at which sat Giles, chatting animatedly with Professor McGonagall.  
  
The students began passing plates around, grabbing the items they wanted and digging into their meals. No one was staring at the new arrivals anymore, their curiosity overridden by their hunger, to which Tara was grateful. She started eating, listening to the conversations going on around her.  
  
"So what's up with that Flitwick guy?" Dawn asked one of the twins, motioning up toward the small man who was seated at the professor's table.  
  
"What do you mean?" the twin asked, grimacing as Dawn insisted on chatting with half-eaten food in her mouth.  
  
"Is he like a hobbit or what?"  
  
Harry almost snorted pumpkin juice through his nose as Tara tried in vain to suppress her giggles.  
  
"Dawn!" she said as sternly as she could through her laughter.  
  
"What's a hobbit?" asked the twin.  
  
Tara shook her head and continued on with her meal.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
She was finished in record time, due to just listening to the conversation, rather than joining in. She drank down the last bit of her juice and sat back for a moment, observing Dawn, who was now having a loud argument with one of the twins' friends. He had been introduced earlier as Lee, and looked just as devious as the twins themselves. The argument stopped suddenly as Dawn gazed over at a table across the room. Tara followed her gaze to a group of students in Slytherin robes.  
  
"Hey Harry," Dawn said, getting the attention of the younger boy, "who's that little blonde kid who keeps sneering at you?"  
  
Harry looked over at where she was indicating to see the boy throw another glare his way.  
  
"That's Malfoy," he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Behind him, Ron started making gagging noises.  
  
Dawn looked at the blonde student thoughtfully. "Doesn't 'mal' mean like 'bad' or something in Latin?" She turned back to Harry. "Is he evil?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh," Dawn replied, shrugging, and jumping back into her argument with Lee, leaving a slightly startled Harry in her wake.  
  
Harry looked over at Tara, who shrugged, just as confused with Dawn's conversation jumps as him. He shrugged in return and continued with his own conversation.  
  
Tara said goodbye to Dawn, who waved at her distractedly, and got up from the table, making her way to the teacher's table and stopping behind Giles, who gave her a welcoming grin.  
  
"So was it as bad as you thought?" the former librarian asked her, motioning for her to take the seat that had been vacated by Professor McGonagall.  
  
"No, it was fine," she said, perching on the edge of the chair for a moment, "I had a pleasant meal, actually."  
  
Giles nodded and smiled, patting her on the arm. She smiled back at him, before standing back up and heading down to the end of the table to a solitary Professor Snape.  
  
"Professor?" she said shyly, waiting for him to turn around.  
  
He looked up at her, slightly startled.  
  
"Miss Maclay," he replied, his expression now unreadable.  
  
"Um, I was wondering if I could sit here for a moment and talk to you about the lesson that I observed today."  
  
Snape frowned, "I don't think that is such a good idea."  
  
"Why not?" Tara asked in a confused tone.  
  
Snape stood up abruptly, almost knocking Tara over. He grabbed onto her arms, steadying her, before dropping his hands quickly, as if he had been burned.  
  
"I have important matters to attend to." He said, in lieu of an explanation, sweeping past Tara and out of the Great Hall.  
  
Tara watched him leave. As she looked away from his figure disappearing out the door, she realized that everyone was again staring at her, this time not trying to hide their curiosity at all.  
  
"Crap," Tara thought, following the Professor's lead and hurrying out of the hall.  
  
As she turned the first corner back to her rooms, she almost got knocked down by the formidable professor a second time.  
  
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, this time gaining her balance without assistance.  
  
Professor Snape said nothing, studying her face for a moment.  
  
"You may meet me in an hour for your first lesson, if that is agreeable with you," he told her, still studying her.  
  
"Okay," she said, too confused to be embarrassed by his gaze. "Um, why did you have to tell me out here?"  
  
Snape closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "There are things."  
  
She waited patiently for his answer as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts.  
  
He scowled and began again, "I would prefer to keep our relationship strictly professional."  
  
Tara's eyes widened, "of course! I never-"  
  
He cut her off with a shake of his head, his hair flying up around it for a moment, "I can teach you potions to pass the time, but we should not become friends."  
  
Tara nodded, more confused than ever. He studied her for a second longer before turning and striding down the hall toward the dungeons.  
  
He stopped just as he reached the next corner. "Don't be late," he called out, before disappearing from view.  
  
Despite her confusion, Tara couldn't help but smile. 


	15. Are You Now?

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. This week's special thanks to Iscariot at ff.net for a fantastic review that made my day and for pointing out my review settings mistake (that I promptly fixed), and to emmy at TtH, for multiple reviews, which also make me happy. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 15: Are You Now?  
  
Five minutes before she was scheduled to be there, Tara timidly knocked on the closed door of the potions classroom. She stood back when she heard a shuffling noise inside, and wondered why she was so nervous about a one-on-one lesson with Professor Snape.  
  
Readjusting the stack of supplies she was carrying, she smiled shyly as the professor opened the door, motioning for her to enter. She followed him into the classroom and discovered that he had already prepared a work area for them on one of the desks in the center of the room.  
  
"I have a deal to make with you," Snape said as she placed her books and pencils next to the empty cauldron.  
  
Tara eyed him suspiciously, "what kind of deal?"  
  
Snape took a seat on a nearby stool, and motioned for Tara to do the same. "I must admit that I am curious as to your past, especially your recent past and your dealings with Miss Summers and her group."  
  
Tara nodded, waiting for him to get to his point.  
  
"I will teach you potions if you will tell me about your adventures with the Vampire Slayer."  
  
Tara quirked her brow, "but you already promised the Headmaster that you would help me."  
  
Snape smiled a bit at this, "Alright, I will teach you.patiently."  
  
"Deal," Tara agreed, laughing.  
  
"So," began Snape, turning in his seat so that she had his full attention, "tell me about defeating that vampire."  
  
Tara smiled and looked down at her hands, embarrassed, "well, Mr. Giles did most of the work, I just happened to be in the right place at the end."  
  
"Take credit where credit is due," Snape replied, frowning, "you saved my life."  
  
Tara looked up at him through a thin veil of her hair. "Actually, your wand saved you. If it hadn't been there, I don't know what I would have done."  
  
Snape nodded, watching silently.  
  
"Um, but I held onto it because sometimes weapons turn to dust too. Or, disappear maybe? I'm not sure, but Buffy goes through stakes really quickly. Maybe they just break." Tara rambled in spite of herself under the potions professor's scrutiny.  
  
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room, a half-developed potion bubbling in the corner making the only sound.  
  
Snape cleared his throat, turning back to the cauldron on the desk in front of him. Tara took this to be the signal that the conversation was over, also turning to the desk.  
  
They spent the next two hours going over some of the most basic potions, with Snape explaining and then creating the quickly made ones, and Tara discussing similar spells and potions she had worked with over the years. The awkwardness that had occurred at the beginning of the session was forgotten, and Tara found that she was actually having fun talking with someone who was just as excited about the subject as she.  
  
*Not that Dawn and Mr. Giles aren't nice to be around, but I really do need Willow for some of this,* Tara found herself thinking as she gathered her notes together.  
  
She frowned at the unexpected Willow related stream of conciousness.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Snape asked, misreading her frown of sorrow for one of confusion.  
  
"No," Tara said, shaking his head and feeling slightly guilty, whether for letting herself stray from the task at hand or for some other reason, she couldn't tell.  
  
Tara looked up at Snape, who was still watching her, a frown on his face.  
  
"Thank you for the lesson, Professor," she said, giving him a smile, "it was nice change from sitting by the fire and reading a book. I had fun."  
  
Snape's frown deepened.  
  
"And- and I learned a lot," she added, noticing the frown, "not too much fun, I swear."  
  
The potions professor smiled fleetingly at this before he turned serious again. "I don't think we can do this again."  
  
Now Tara was frowning, more confused than ever. "I thought you enjoyed-"  
  
Snape shook his head, cutting her off, "It's not that. I just- I don't believe this was a good idea to begin with."  
  
Tara waited for him to continue, having no idea what he was getting at.  
  
"I am not a good or innocent person," he began after gathering his thoughts, "I've done things in my past that I am not proud of."  
  
"Everyone's done things that they regret. Doesn't the fact that you regret them mean you're not the same person?" Tara replied, thinking of her early days with the Scoobies, when she had been convinced she was part demon.  
  
Snape scrutinized her, his gaze filled with an indiscernible emotion.  
  
"Even Buffy, the Slayer, a fighter for good, has done things that she regrets," Tara continued in a reassuring tone, "no one is without faults."  
  
"Some worse than others," replied Snape with a sneer.  
  
Tara found herself intensely curious as to what could be so bad that it would cause such strong emotion in the usually collected professor, but she held back the question, waiting to see if he would tell her on his own.  
  
As if reading her mind, Snape said in a quiet voice, "I wasn't always a force for good, let us say."  
  
Tara nodded.  
  
"I seem to be continually underestimating you," Snape said after her mild response.  
  
Grinning briefly, Tara nodded again. "Well, it's the age-old story, isn't it? You've done bad things, realized that wasn't really what you were about, and now you're seeking redemption through good deeds."  
  
"I wouldn't call it good deeds."  
  
Tara smirked, "so teaching students is."  
  
"Penance."  
  
"I see."  
  
Snape looked at her smirk, confusion in his eyes.  
  
"The next time you get the chance, ask Dawn about her sister's first love. From what I hear, he could teach you about penance," Tara said, knowing Dawn would love to relate to someone new the "Tragic Tale of Buffy and Angel", as she called it when she recited it to Tara the first time.  
  
Hopefully she wouldn't mind too greatly if the someone new happened to be Professor Snape.  
  
*I'll have to remind him to ask politely,* Tara thought sardonically.  
  
Snape shifted his robes around, breaking into Tara's train of thought.  
  
"Was that the reason?" she asked, remembering the original point of the conversation.  
  
"It is reason enough," replied Snape.  
  
"What are the others?"  
  
Snape's eyes glanced away ever so slightly, causing Tara to wonder if perhaps he was nervous for some reason.  
  
"I am quite certain it is better to have less than you need rather than more than you can handle," he replied cryptically.  
  
Tara went over his words in her head, still confused. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean by that."  
  
As he studied her for a long moment, she could see that he was conflicted about something.  
  
Snape sighed. "Any friends I were to have would be hurt through their association with me."  
  
He continued to study her, and she found herself looking right back at him.  
  
"I'm not the kind of person who has a large group of friends," she finally replied. "But the ones I make, I am loyal to. I've lost almost everything for my friends, but if you're not willing to, then what's the point, really?" she said, smiling through the last part.  
  
Snape stared at her a moment longer before muttering what sounded like "unbelievable" under his breath. Tara wasn't sure if it was a good or bad comment.  
  
"The question is," he continued the debate, "do the losses outweigh the gains?"  
  
"I suppose that depends on who you are," Tara replied, after thinking about it for a moment, "but personally, I'd have to say no."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Especially with one in particular," Tara admitted, after seeing the curious look.  
  
The Potions Master seemed to freeze for a split second. To Tara it almost looked like a double-take, and she wondered if she had gotten more personal than he was comfortable with.  
  
"If it's not too personal," he started, immediately letting her know that that wasn't what had caused the reaction, "I am willing to listen."  
  
Tara sighed, nodding. "It is personal, but I think I'm at the point where I need an outsider's perspective."  
  
Snape's flinch went unnoticed by Tara as she finally began to let her pent up emotions escape.  
  
"I haven't had anyone to talk to about her. These kinds of things, well, I guess I'm used to talking to her about them."  
  
"Her?" Snape asked, confused.  
  
"Willow," replied Tara.  
  
He nodded, not quite in understanding, but as a signal that she should continue.  
  
She looked at him, "I suppose I should tell you that this is in confidence, but I trust you."  
  
*There was his frown after the word "trust" again,* Tara noted.  
  
She decided to ignore it for the moment. "Do you remember how I told you about her problems with magic and trying to control everything?"  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
Tara took a deep breath. "Well, it seems that the thing she most wants to control is me."  
  
"And why is that?" the professor asked in a more hesitant voice than Tara thought he was capable of.  
  
She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping this was the right thing. "Because she's in love with me. Strong emotions and impatience led her to some bad choices."  
  
Snape was sitting as still as a statue.  
  
"She was hurt very badly in the past," Tara added, hoping that this would help explain something that she herself didn't fully understand.  
  
Professor Snape blinked, and then shook his head, finally moving again.  
  
"And you are in love with her," he said, more as a statement than a question.  
  
"Some people have problems with that. I've gotten used to it, but I wasn't sure if things were different here. It's stupid, really." Tara replied, nervously, unable to gauge the professor's reaction.  
  
"It is not a bad thing," Snape replied, "just.unusual."  
  
Tara couldn't help but laugh at that, partly out of relief, and partly as a reaction to the potions professor finding something unusual.  
  
*Because any of this is normal,* she thought to herself.  
  
Her laughter died when she saw Snape's expression.  
  
"This woman is a danger to you?" he asked, his face filled with worry and a hint of anger.  
  
"I don't know," Tara admitted, "I think I'm more of a danger to myself."  
  
Snape gave her a questioning look.  
  
"She made me who I am today, saved my life in a manner of speaking. Leaving her was the hardest thing I've ever done, and staying away is just as bad."  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
Professor and student both jumped when a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.  
  
Snape crossed the room to answer it and Tara gathered her books in her arms, surprised to see how late it was.  
  
She looked up to find Professor Lupin studying her, his tired face paler than normal.  
  
"Good evening, Tara," he greeted when she caught his eye.  
  
She smiled at him hesitantly, "hello, Professor. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," he replied, smiling back.  
  
They both turned when Professor Snape reappeared out of a connecting room, a bottle in his hand.  
  
"Thank you for the lesson, Professor," Tara said to him, moving past Lupin and stopping in the doorway.  
  
"It was my pleasure," replied Snape.  
  
Remus glanced between the two questioningly as Tara turned to leave.  
  
"Miss Maclay," the potions professor said, causing her to turn back toward him. "Next time perhaps a discussion of defense spells?"  
  
Tara nodded, a grin on her face. "I'm practically an expert, you know."  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow at this, but she just smiled at him, disappearing out the door.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Tara arrived back at the common room she shared with Dawn to find a veritable party going on inside. The Weasley twins, along with Lee, Angelina, another girl she didn't know, and Dawn were all camped around the fire, eating plates of what appeared to be various desserts.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, getting their attention.  
  
Dawn waved at her after slapping Lee's hand as he tried to grab her plate. "We're avoiding the war zone."  
  
"War zone?" asked Tara, taking a seat next to one of the twins, who offered her a pastry.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Ron and Hermione have taken over their common room in a spectacular display of stupidity with just a dash of sexual tension."  
  
Tara raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Hermione's cat, if you can call it that, has driven Ron mad," supplied the twin, eating the pastry himself after Tara turned it down.  
  
"Isn't it after curfew?" Tara inquired, causing more than one of the students to shake a dismissive hand.  
  
"So where have you been?" asked Dawn, finally giving up and handing her plate over to Lee, who happily accepted it.  
  
"Professor Snape is teaching me potions," Tara replied.  
  
Half of the students began to cough, choking on their food.  
  
"Bloody hell," said the twin next to her, "you are the bravest woman I know." 


	16. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. Does anyone know what happened to TtH? I can't get it to load on my computer. Is it gone forever (which would be so sad!)?? The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 16: The Beginning of the End  
  
Tara realized that she should have known when she heard the loud crash coming from the direction of the dungeons that the Weasley twins were somehow involved. What she didn't expect, however, was Dawn's unfortunate involvement in said debacle.  
  
By the time late February had rolled around, she and Dawn had fallen into a routine. She spent most of her week looking forward to her time spent with Dawn and her time learning potions from Professor Snape.  
  
There hadn't been any attacks since the vampire, and Tara and Dawn had come to an agreement that they would stop worrying about Doc and concentrate on enjoying their time at the school until there was reason to worry. So far, Buffy had not been able to find Doc, but not for lack of trying. According to the Slayer, not much of anything was going on in Sunnydale at the moment. A few random attacks, and the brief reappearance of Riley, which Dawn was irritated to miss, but no organized efforts.  
  
Giles had been gone for a while now, also searching for Doc, using all of his sources through the Watcher's Council and otherwise. Life was as routine as it was going to be for a while. Even the inscrutable Professor Snape seemed to have a pattern. He was opening up a little at a time. Yet, for some reason that Tara had yet to understand, for every secret he revealed, he clammed up for a lengthier and lengthier period of time. There was obviously something going on with him that he felt he couldn't talk to her about, but it wasn't right for her to pry, so she was left wondering and trying to convince him that he could trust her.  
  
Everything had basically been calm for a time, aside from the apparently common threats on Harry's life, so Tara should have known that it was time for Dawn to stir things up a little. She had either been holding back for a month, or else the Weasley twins were teaching her how to avoid getting caught.  
  
As soon as Tara heard the loud popping sound, she was racing down the stairs, not taking long enough to even consider other options. When she reached the hall that contained the entrance to the potions classroom, she skidded to a halt, steadying herself by grabbing onto a nearby statue, which immediately started berating her for not being more careful.  
  
The view of the classroom door was obstructed by a thick cloud of smoke, billowing out from inside the room. Tara pulled the sleeve of her peasant top down over her hand and held it up to her face, covering her nose and mouth. She made her way toward where she hoped the open doorway was, coughing and stumbling into the room. Just as she began to make out a cauldron that appeared to be the source of the smoke, a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards into an adjoining room. The same person slammed the door shut behind her.  
  
Tara spun around quickly, ready to either help or fight, depending on the situation. What she saw made her stop in her tracks.  
  
A furious looking potions professor was standing closest to her, obviously being the one who pulled her into the room. On the other side of the office stood one sick looking Weasley twin, one guilty looking Weasley twin, and an extremely chagrinned Dawn.  
  
Tara narrowed her eyes at Dawn for a moment, before glancing back over at Snape, surprised that she couldn't see smoke coming out of his ears. She silently willed him to not explode.  
  
"What is in that smoke?" she asked, hoping it was a question that wouldn't make the situation worse.  
  
Dawn shrugged, avoiding looking directly into Tara's eyes. The guilty looking Weasley also shrugged. Tara gave a questioning look to the Weasley twin who was getting progressively greener as time went on.  
  
"Um, we're not sure. We may have accidentally dropped a few extra ingredients in," he said, choking on the last few words.  
  
Tara glanced at Professor Snape again, who still looked as if he wanted to curse everyone in the world just for existing. She laid a hand on his arm, causing him to jump. He looked at her as if he had forgotten she was there, his anger putting his entire focus on the teens across the small room.  
  
She gave him a small smile, trying to be reassuring enough to calm him down. After glancing down at her hand, and then back up at her face, it seemed to work. He continued to stare at her as she turned back to the guilty party.  
  
Dawn was looking between her and Snape, one eyebrow raised, but Tara chose to ignore her implication for the time being.  
  
"Dawn, could you check to see if the smoke has cleared yet?" she asked the brunette.  
  
Dawn opened her mouth to protest, before thinking better of it, instead crossing to the door and opening it wide enough to peer outside. She opened it all the way, revealing a clear room, the only indication that anything had gone wrong, a cauldron and table across the room covered in a dark red liquid that appeared to still be bubbling.  
  
Tara glanced at Snape, who nodded. She turned back to Dawn, who was looking at Tara's hand on the potions professor's arm and frowning.  
  
"Dawn," Tara said, snapping the younger girl out of her thoughts for the moment, "could you and Fred and George go to the infirmary and get yourselves checked out, please. Professor Snape and I will clean up this mess."  
  
Dawn nodded, indicating for the Weasley twins to follow her out the door.  
  
"And do remember to meet with Filch tonight to begin your two month detention," Snape said in a controlled tone as they reached the classroom door.  
  
The Weasley twins sighed, but Dawn spun around and glared at him. "Hey! I'm not a student here, you can't give me detention!"  
  
"Dawn Summers!" Tara exclaimed, ashamed of her actions for the first time since they had been invited to stay at the school. "Buffy left me in charge of you, and I think this deserves detention. You're a guest here, and this is how you treat people."  
  
Dawn's face reddened, and she nodded.  
  
"Sorry, Professor Snape," she squeaked, running out the door to catch up to her partners in crime.  
  
The sound of Snape's laughter surprised Tara, who turned to look at him.  
  
"I do believe that's the first time anyone has apologized to me without being forced to by the Headmaster."  
  
His smirk disappeared as he caught sight of Tara's look.  
  
"Do not pity me," he hissed, pushing past her to begin cleaning up the now motionless spilled potion.  
  
Tara followed him, taking a seat at a nearby table. "You know me better than that."  
  
For some reason, this caused Snape to clean up the mess even more violently, almost making a bigger one in his haste.  
  
Tara jumped up from her seat and grabbed the potions professor's arm, stopping him mid-swipe.  
  
He sighed and collapsed onto the stool behind him, not shaking off the grip. Tara took the seat next to him and waited for him to begin the inevitable explanation.  
  
"I don't know what to do with you," he said, continuing before she could ask for clarification. "I have become accustomed to students pulling pranks on me and badmouthing me behind my back. I am not blind or deaf. I know of my reputation."  
  
"You created your reputation," Tara replied.  
  
Snape laughed humorlessly, "yes, well, I suppose I did. As a safety measure of sorts."  
  
"That's what I don't understand," said Tara, "there is this big part of your life that you won't tell me about. I haven't pried because it wasn't my business, but we're becoming friends, and." she trailed off.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
"You're the best friend I've ever had, apart from Willow, whether you wanted it that way or not."  
  
Snape glanced over at her, before returning his gaze to the table. "That's just it. I wasn't looking for a friend."  
  
"I know," Tara replied. She took a deep breath and decided to go for broke. "Are you a spy?"  
  
Snape grabbed her arm and shook her, causing her to wince.  
  
"Do not talk of such things. It could get you killed."  
  
He let go of her, still staring at her, eyes flashing dangerously. Tara tried to cover her pain, but unconsciously rubbed her arm where a hand- shaped bruise was forming.  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't want to get you in trouble. It's just, I need to have all the information, and I feel as if this is the safest place to have this conversation."  
  
The potions master shook his head, dark hair flying around it. "This place is far from safe. There is no safe place, especially in the school."  
  
Tara nodded, frowning. "But now that it's out there."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It's not a reason."  
  
"No, it is only half of the reason."  
  
Tara waited. The professor closed his eyes briefly.  
  
"I only allowed the friendship to develop after I discovered that you were in love with someone." He said, looking over at Tara and waiting for her to make the connection.  
  
He didn't have to wait for long.  
  
"Oh," Tara replied, almost in a whisper.  
  
"I understand if you wish to discontinue the lessons now."  
  
Tara immediately shook her head. "No, of course not. Um, I guess maybe you don't want to hear about my Willow troubles anymore though."  
  
"On the contrary," Snape said, relieved to be able to change the subject, "have you read the letter yet?"  
  
Tara shook her head, knowing that the subject was closed for the time being. She decided to let it drop, knowing that she would have to discuss it further at some point in the future, if only to dispel the lingering bit of awkwardness that had developed between them.  
  
"I still feel like I'm not ready."  
  
Snape smiled sympathetically, beginning to wipe up the mess again, "will you ever be ready?"  
  
Tara laughed, "Well, if you're going to use logic."  
  
The professor joined in her laughter and they finished cleaning the classroom and preparing for the night's lesson.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
"What were you thinking, Dawn?" Tara asked as soon as she found the teen sulking in front of their common room fire.  
  
"It was just a prank," Dawn protested, "Snape was being mean to Harry, so Fred and George decided to get back at him."  
  
"I'm glad that you care about Harry, but we're guests here, Dawnie. We can't be causing trouble. And I'm sure Professor Snape had a good reason for his actions."  
  
Dawn looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"Alright," Tara amended, "he might have done something unjustified, but he is still a teacher. You should have just gone to the Headmaster if there was trouble."  
  
Dawn mumbled something as Tara took a seat next to her.  
  
"What?" Tara asked, grabbing the cup of hot chocolate that was conveniently waiting for her.  
  
"I didn't think of that," Dawn mumbled a bit louder, looking embarrassed.  
  
Tara smiled. "Well, I think that Professor Snape just might go easy on you since you had the good sense to apologize."  
  
"I really didn't mean to mess up his classroom like that," Dawn said, also drinking a mug of hot cocoa.  
  
"I know," replied Tara. "Just be more careful next time. Pranks are fine, as long as they're harmless fun and not intended to hurt anyone."  
  
Dawn nodded. "And if you don't get caught."  
  
The two girls laughed, their argument over.  
  
"So what's with you and 'tall dark and foreboding' anyway?" inquired Dawn, making Tara choke on her drink.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked after a small coughing fit.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "The sexual tension type vibes that were practically visible earlier. You know he's a guy, right?"  
  
Tara snorted, almost choking again, "Dawn, I'm in love with Willow. I'm a one woman kind of witch."  
  
Dawn looked at her doubtfully. "Yeah, well, he's evil, you know."  
  
Tara almost laughed out loud. She looked at the smirking teenager incredulously. "Yes, well, people can change."  
  
"No one stops being evil. It's like ingrained in them or whatever."  
  
Tara raised an eyebrow at Dawn, "so you hang out with Spike in the hopes that he'll kill you with a railroad spike?"  
  
"He's different," Dawn pouted.  
  
Tara just looked at her.  
  
"Okay, fine!" she exclaimed, raising her arms in defeat, "so maybe he's not evil, but he is still a guy. And you still love Willow."  
  
"Don't worry, Dawn," Tara said, putting an arm around the younger girl. Ignoring her protests, she gave her a half hug, her drink still in her other hand. "As far as I'm concerned, Willow is the one and only. We just need more time to work some things out."  
  
Dawn finally relaxed, hugging her back before scooting back to her original seat. "So why haven't you read the letter?"  
  
Tara gazed thoughtfully into her half empty mug. "I don't know. I'm still working things out in my head. I can't deal with anything new yet."  
  
"Buffy said she's getting better. Amy's not allowed around the house anymore, and after she bottomed out, she's been atoning and whatnot."  
  
"I know, Dawnie. It just needs more time."  
  
Dawn set her empty cup down on a nearby table. "Just don't take too long. Life's short, especially for a Scooby."  
  
She jumped up and left the room, disappearing into her bedroom. Tara sunk down further in the couch, staring into the fire and contemplating how complicated her life had become. 


	17. Caution All Around, Then

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net. Shout-out to samson. Your name reminds me of Carnivale. Good times. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 17: Caution All Around, Then  
  
"Miss Maclay," a voice said from behind Tara as she was wandering the halls midday.  
  
The blonde girl turned to see a deceptively frail-looking wizard approaching her, his purple robes standing out like a beacon in the dim light shining through the narrow windows that lined the walls.  
  
"Hello, Headmaster," Tara greeted him with a large smile. "How are you today?"  
  
"Very well, very well," he answered as he stopped to stand beside her. "I have spoken to the delightful Miss Summers almost every day of your stay, but I feel as if we haven't spoken in weeks," he said, holding out a bag of candy to her.  
  
Tara took one and popped it in her mouth, her eyes opening wider for an instant as it fizzled on her tongue. The headmaster also put one in his mouth, and Tara saw it spark brightly for a moment.  
  
Dumbledore was peering at her thoughtfully. "I hope you haven't been too restless without your studies or your friends here to occupy your time."  
  
Tara looked at him suspiciously. He simply looked back, the ghost of a smile on his kind face.  
  
"I've had plenty of studies to keep myself occupied, as well as at least one new friend, but I think you already knew that," she replied, smirking.  
  
The headmaster laughed. "Yes, well, I like to stay informed as to the goings-on of all my guests. Which is why I must say goodbye for now. I believe your Mr. Giles should be contacting me within the hour."  
  
"Anything important?"  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing to be concerned about. Just an update on his findings concerning your situation and other issues I have discussed with him recently."  
  
"Oh," Tara said, filing the headmaster's last statement away to ask Giles about later.  
  
Dumbledore nodded to her and headed off down the hall in the general direction of his office.  
  
Tara looked around to see that the corridor had emptied out. She wandered over to a nearby alcove and gazed out the window at the snow- covered grounds. She could see a few of the older students sitting on blankets near the lake, chatting and studying. As one of the boys gestured wildly, telling a story and making the rest of them laugh, she realized that she needed to talk to Willow. It had been too long since they had last spoken, and even then it had been an incredibly awkward conversation that ended with both of them angry and sad.  
  
Tara was so lost in her musings about Willow and the others back in Sunnydale that she didn't notice the person who approached, stopping to stand next to her at the window.  
  
"Homesick?" the person asked, making her wonder if she was that transparent.  
  
She glanced over at him. "A little."  
  
"Anyone in particular?" he asked.  
  
Hesitating, she turned to look at him.  
  
"I'm sorry, that was too personal."  
  
"No, no, it's okay Professor."  
  
He smiled at her. "How long will it take for me to convince you to address me by my first name?"  
  
"Sorry, Remus," Tara replied, her mood already brightening, "I'm used to using last names with teachers. I've only had one or two who wanted the students to use their first names, and they were all really young."  
  
Lupin raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Er, not that you're old," she added, blushing.  
  
The professor laughed, letting her off the hook. "Well, Tara, you're not exactly a student here."  
  
Tara nodded.  
  
"Not counting Snape, of course," he added.  
  
Tara smiled and turned back to the window, looking at the students as they played in the snow.  
  
"Of course," she said, suddenly wondering if everyone had an ulterior motive for conversations with her.  
  
"Tara, I know you don't entirely trust me, but-"  
  
"You know that was just because of your condition," Tara interrupted, frowning.  
  
Lupin waved her comment away, "that's neither here nor there. I just, well, there's no way to talk about this without interfering, but just be careful."  
  
"How so?" asked Tara, now looking at his concerned expression, still frowning.  
  
"In every way," he replied, staring at her intently, "with the situation here at school, yours and Harry's, you have to be on your guard."  
  
Tara opened her mouth to reply.  
  
"I realize that I don't have to tell you that," Lupin continued before she could speak, "with the way you dispatched that vampire."  
  
Tara shrugged, still not sure how to respond to the praise everyone had given her at some time or another, following the vampire attack.  
  
"You should also be careful with our resident Potions Master."  
  
Tara glanced at him sharply, trying to figure out his motivation for saying that.  
  
"I don't presume to know anything of your relationship with him," the older man said, "but he's been through some things-"  
  
Tara cut him off, "I know. He's told me things."  
  
"Oh," Lupin replied, the surprise obvious on his face. "Well then, um," he cleared his throat.  
  
Tara smiled at his awkwardness. "I know you're just concerned, but I think Professor Snape needs a friend."  
  
Lupin laughed.  
  
"What?" Tara asked, confused.  
  
"You really aren't used to calling teachers by their first names."  
  
Tara shrugged, looking past Professor Lupin to see Dawn and the twins coming around the corner. He followed her gaze and stepped away from the window.  
  
"Well, I should go prepare for my next lesson," he told her, "Just remember that caution is always a sound choice." He walked off down the hall, nodding a greeting to Dawn and the Weasleys as he passed.  
  
When the three teens reached her, Tara was still frowning and going over Lupin's last comment in her head.  
  
"Maybe she's a robot," Dawn said to the boys as they stopped next to Tara.  
  
The randomness of this comment couldn't help but draw the troubled blonde girl into the conversation.  
  
"Um, who's a robot?" she asked, not sure if she even wanted to know.  
  
"Hermione," Dawn replied, looking as nonchalant about it as she possibly could, considering the accusation she was making.  
  
The twins, on the other hand, looked as if they couldn't decide whether to laugh or be frightened. They were studying Tara's reaction to Dawn as if it would give them some hint as to whether she was kidding.  
  
"Is she acting like the Buffy robot?" Tara asked.  
  
The twins exchanged a worried look.  
  
"I dunno," Dawn replied, "all I know is Fred heard that she's been seen in two classes at the same time. Or something like that. Neville told him."  
  
"She's got enough books to be taking twice the normal class-load," Fred, presumably, said.  
  
Tara furrowed her brow. "Is she acting kind of perky and single- minded?"  
  
The twins just looked confused.  
  
"Maybe Ron built her to play chess with," Dawn said, pointedly, at Tara.  
  
The older girl rolled her eyes, laughing.  
  
The twins were looking between Tara and Dawn as if they were speaking a different language.  
  
"So there are two Hermiones now?" the other twin asked, trying to clear up the confusion.  
  
"Oh, I know this!" Dawn shouted, causing everyone to jump noticeably, "they're both Hermione!"  
  
~-~-~-~-  
  
Twenty minutes later, Tara had made her way down to the beautiful snowy grounds, after helping Dawn recount stories of Sunnydale to two impressed Weasley boys. Tara had the feeling that the twins wouldn't mind living in Sunnydale for awhile, if only for the wild tales they could bring back to the wizarding world.  
  
The grounds were empty of students, and almost serene, but for the wind that created flurries every few minutes.  
  
Tara trekked through the already half-formed path to the lake, standing near the spot she had observed the students at earlier. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, practicing a meditating technique that she had learned years before, as a way to focus her energy before performing a particularly complex spell. Though, in this case, it was just a technique to help her think. She quickly came to the conclusion that it was time to read the letter that had been waiting in her desk drawer ever since it arrived from Sunnydale.  
  
She sighed and gave up her meditation after a few minutes, when she realized that Willow wasn't the problem. The problem was that she wanted desperately to talk with Snape about the entire situation, but after what he had revealed to her, it seemed an almost taboo subject.  
  
Tara was ripped from her thoughts by a loud growl from directly behind her. She whipped around just in time to receive a blow to the head, which knocked her back to the edge of the lake. She narrowly missed cracking her head on the ice, instead landing on a large drift that had gathered along the bank. The thing that had attacked her came into view, and she let out a shrill scream, desperately hoping that someone was near enough to hear.  
  
The large horned demon stepped closer to where she lay, its growl building up to a low roar. It pounded a fist to its chest and said something to her, which came out as another menacing growling noise.  
  
Tara closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on where she hoped Professor Snape would be at this time of day. She muttered a chant to herself, all the time wishing she had practiced this technique with Willow more often.  
  
Air whooshed past her head as she rolled to the side, barely missing the demon's large fist coming down on her head.  
  
Opening her eyes wide, she stared directly at it. She held up a hand, her open palm facing it.  
  
"Quiesco!" she shouted, a bright blue light shooting out of her arm and wrapping around the demon, halting it in its tracks.  
  
The demon stood completely still a foot in front of her, its arms outstretched in front of it, a snarl frozen on its face.  
  
Tara fell back on the snow, her breathing growing deeper as she slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
The first thing she notice when she awoke was that she was considerably warmer and more comfortable than when she had passed out. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the brightness of the room she was in. She raised a hand to her head and rubbed her eyes, flinching as she felt a tender spot on her forehead, where she had either been hit by the demon or hit the ground, she couldn't remember which.  
  
She heard the sound of a chair moving somewhere off to the side, and then a hand grabbed hers, squeezing briefly.  
  
"There was a demon," she said, her voice coming out in a loud whisper.  
  
"It's been captured," the person told her.  
  
She immediately recognized the low voice. "Professor Snape?"  
  
"I thought I had finally figured you out, and then I underestimate you for yet a third time," was his reply.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
She finally managed to get her eyes to adjust, turning her head to look at him. He was sitting in an uncomfortable looking wooden chair that he had pulled up next to her bed. Her bed in the infirmary, she discovered, looking around. Her eyes again fell on the Professor, who dropped her hand and sat back up in his chair.  
  
"What do you remember?"  
  
She thought back on the demon attack, ignoring the pounding in her head.  
  
"A demon attacked me. Um, a Fyarl demon, I think. Mr. Giles was turned into one before. It looked like he did that time."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't interrupt.  
  
"I tried to get a message to you, but I couldn't tell if it worked, and then I used what was left of my energy to stop the demon with a spell."  
  
She rubbed her head again, soothing the pain momentarily.  
  
"Your spell worked nicely," Snape said, "and I received the message, though I believe running out in the middle of class after hearing your voice in my head may have confused the first years I was in the middle of teaching."  
  
Tara smiled briefly.  
  
"How did you do that?" Snape asked, handing her a small vial of something that she hoped was for the pain.  
  
She swallowed it quickly, surprised at its sweet taste, the surprise changing to relief as her headache died down. "Which part?"  
  
"Well, both, actually," he replied, taking the vial from her, putting it back in his pocket beneath his robes.  
  
"Well, the telepathy thing was something I was practicing back in Sunnydale, but the freezing spell was one that I've only read about before."  
  
Snape looked surprised.  
  
"I panicked," Tara said, sheepishly, "and it was the first thing that came to mind."  
  
"Well, it worked nicely," Snape replied, looking equal parts worried and impressed.  
  
"I think being here, in this school, makes my power work differently. I feel stronger."  
  
They fell silent and contemplated recent events for a moment.  
  
The silence was interrupted by the infirmary door banging open, much to the dismay of Madam Pomfrey, who had just appeared from an adjoining room.  
  
Dawn burst through, followed by Giles, Dumbledore, and Professor Lupin.  
  
Snape stood quickly, moving to the corner of the room as the teen ran over to Tara, hugging her and looking her over, making sure she wasn't seriously injured.  
  
The other three new arrivals joined Dawn at Tara's bedside. Lupin glanced over at Snape, who had intercepted Madam Pomfrey and appeared to be discussing the potion Tara had taken earlier with her.  
  
Tara assured Dawn and Giles that she was okay, laughing as Giles predictably took his glasses off to clean them and muttered in disapproval of the attack.  
  
Dumbledore raised a hand, silencing everyone, including Snape and Pomfrey.  
  
"It appears," he said, when he was sure he had their attention, "that we have a problem."  
  
Dawn sighed. "When do we not?" 


	18. The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. Sorry this chapter was late. Work is trying to kill me. The next chapter will definitely be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 18: The Prisoners of Hogwarts  
  
"We were able to find an appropriate translating spell for the Fyarl demon before Rupert had to resort to other options," Dumbledore said, taking a seat in the infirmary where Tara lay injured.  
  
"It's a good thing, too, because I only know of one, er, person who speaks Fyarl," Giles added, also taking a seat.  
  
Tara gave Giles a weak smile, not yet sure just how concerned she should be at this point.  
  
"So, what's the deal?" Dawn asked, as she looked through the potions sitting on a table near Tara's bed, despite Snape's glaring at her from the far side, where he too had taken a seat.  
  
Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth from his pocket.  
  
*That's never a good sign,* Tara thought, growing more nervous with every swipe of the cloth.  
  
Dawn's loud sigh stopped Giles's nervous cleaning session.  
  
"You're doing that thing."  
  
"Quite right," answered Giles, putting his glasses back on his face. "The suspicions that we had with the vampire attack have been confirmed. Both demons were sent by Doc."  
  
Tara had been watching Dawn intently as the conversation progressed. She noticed that, though she looked calm on the outside, Dawn's body had gone rigid at this latest bit of information.  
  
Everyone sat in silence for a long while, contemplating the situation. Finally, Dumbledore stood, breaking into their thoughts.  
  
"Well, I would like to discuss this further, but I believe it can wait until Miss Maclay has gotten some rest." He smiled at Tara, who smiled back, gratefully.  
  
Everyone in the room, save Snape and Pomfrey, took the cue and said their goodbyes to Tara as they left.  
Dumbledore was the last to leave the room, patting Tara's hand and nodding to Snape, who stared back at him, as if to dare the Headmaster to order him to leave. Dumbledore shook his head and began to follow the others out.  
  
"I would like for you and Miss Summers to stay inside the school for the time being, since both attacks took place so close to the building. I don't believe it would be safe for you to wander out again until we have the situation under control," Dumbledore said as he reached the door.  
  
Tara nodded her consent and he disappeared into the hall. She looked over at Snape, who was rearranging his robes and avoiding eye contact. She nervously cleared her throat, trying to break the tension. When he finally looked up, she was surprised to see the emotion on his face. She had to go back and revise her whole list of his emotions to add this new one, that looked like concern and even a little fear.  
  
"It'll be okay," she said, trying to reassure him, even though she wasn't feeling the least bit optimistic at the moment.  
  
Snape shook his head, mostly to himself, and looked over her, assessing the damage once again. When he looked up at her face once more, his emotions were back to normal.  
  
"You should be able to return to your room in the morning," he said, standing.  
  
"I'll be fine," answered Tara, not bothering to hide her confusion at his mood swing, "I just need some sleep."  
  
He nodded and gathered up a few of the potions Dawn had been investigating earlier.  
  
"I'll leave you to that, then," he replied.  
  
Tara grabbed his arm as he walked past her bed, stopping him in his tracks. "Could you come back later? I need to talk to you about something, but I think I should sleep first."  
  
He nodded, looking down at her hand where it was gripping his arm. She let go and watched as he briskly left the infirmary. Before she had a chance to reflect on his behavior, Madam Pomfrey bustled in and began giving her descriptions of the various potions she would be taking until she was completely healed.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Tara wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she awoke, the infirmary was quiet and dim, the only light an ornate kerosene lamp on her bedside table. She turned it up, trying to rid her area of all its dark shadows. Just as she got it to an acceptable level, the room grew even brighter as the door opened. The Potions Master entered, carrying a light himself, and took a seat next to her bed.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking her over.  
  
"Better," she replied. "What time is it?"  
  
"Not too late. Dinner just ended."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The room descended into an awkward silence.  
  
Tara bit her lip, trying to think of something to say.  
  
The professor spoke first. "Why were you on the grounds alone?"  
  
"I needed to think," she answered.  
  
He studied her face for a moment. "About Willow?"  
  
Tara nodded, pushing a stray hair behind her ear and moving into a more comfortable position. She fixed her pajamas, stopping to wonder how she had come to be wearing them, and quickly chalking it up to magic. She looked up at him again after finally finding the right position, only to find him still staring at her in the intense way that only he could.  
  
"I need you to do me a favor," she said.  
  
He studied her a moment longer. "Where is it?" he asked, standing back up.  
  
"My desk. The password is 'scooby', unless Dawn changed it again."  
  
"I'm sure I'll manage," replied Snape, leaving the room, taking his light with him.  
  
A minute later, there was a knock at the infirmary door and Tara smiled as a brunette head peeked inside.  
  
"You look better!" Dawn exclaimed, flouncing into the room and plopping down on the end of Tara's bed.  
  
The two girls grinned at each other, and Dawn reached over to hug Tara briefly.  
  
"It's all over school, you know," Dawn said when she had situated herself back at the end of the bed. "People think you're a superhero or something. I of course totally agreed with every account of what happened."  
  
Tara laughed as Dawn pulled a bag from her jacket pocket. She handed it over to the blonde girl, who smiled gratefully.  
  
"Everyone thinks I have super powers by default or something," Dawn continued as Tara dug into the bag of chocolate. "It's way cool. Fred and George are totally jealous of my instant fame."  
  
Tara was finally beginning to feel normal again. The attack almost felt like it had happened to someone else.  
  
"Just don't let it go to your head, Dawnie," Tara replied, offering the teen the rest of the chocolate, which she gladly took.  
  
"Oh please," Dawn said, shoving the last pieces into her mouth, "like I want to be famous. I just like it because all the first years are doing stuff for me. One of them gave me this." She motioned to the now empty bag and licked the last bits of the chocolate off of her lips.  
  
Both girls looked up as the door opened again. Professor Snape had returned, this time carrying an envelope in his free hand. He noted the presence of the teen, with some disgust, and took a seat on the opposite side of the bed from her, handing the envelope to Tara.  
  
Dawn peered at it as it changed hands.  
  
"Is that the letter Willow sent you?" she asked, looking between Tara and the professor with some confusion.  
  
"Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?" Snape asked, barely disguising the venom in his voice.  
  
Tara looked at him sharply, silencing him, before putting the letter in her lap.  
  
"Yeah, it's the letter," she answered Dawn's question.  
  
Dawn and Snape appeared to be locked in a staring contest, both peering at each other through narrowed eyes, nostrils flaring with the effort it took to not lash out.  
  
"Um, maybe we could talk later," Tara said to Snape, trying to ignore Dawn's outraged face when she failed to dismiss him out of hand.  
  
Snape looked at her, his anger instantly turning back into his usual neutral expression, "Very well. You will need time to look it over, of course."  
  
Tara smiled at him gratefully. As he walked past her to leave, his hand briefly touched hers, an action that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.  
  
Tara knew that as soon as he was out of earshot, Dawn would go into full rant mode. She wasn't disappointed.  
  
"Willow's getting better, you know," the teen said bitterly, raising her voice to just below shouting level.  
  
"Shh," Tara tried to quiet her, "Madam Pomfrey is around here somewhere."  
  
Dawn nodded her assent, but still looked determined to let Tara know exactly what she thought of the whole situation.  
  
"I know she's getting better. That's why I'm going to read this," the older girl said, motioning to the letter sitting in her lap. "I'm willing to listen to whatever she has to say."  
  
Dawn looked calmer, but confused. "So what was with the hands?"  
  
"Professor Snape and I are friends," Tara replied.  
  
Dawn raised a disbelieving eyebrow.  
  
Tara was saved from continuing the conversation by the loud noise of two bodies colliding with the infirmary door, which promptly slammed open, depositing the people in question onto the ground in a pile of limbs.  
  
"What is going on out here?" Madam Pomfrey asked in a shrill voice as she rushed into the room.  
  
"Get off me!" one of the bodies yelled, as they slowly untangled.  
  
They finally recovered, and Tara was amused to see two red faced Weasley twins.  
  
"Well?" Pomfrey asked, waiting for an explanation, hands on her hips.  
  
"Erm, we wanted to say hello to Tara here, but we wanted to make sure she wasn't sleeping.  
  
"Well, she most certainly isn't now," Madam Pomfrey replied.  
  
The twins shrugged sheepishly as Pomfrey gave them one last irritated look and huffed out of the room.  
  
As soon as she was gone, both twins broke into grins, which dispelled any of the tension left between Tara and Dawn.  
  
"Did you really kill a demon twice your size with your bare hands?" the twin on the right asked, as they both took spots at the end of the bed, on either side of a smiling Dawn.  
  
"Three times my size," Tara replied.  
  
"Wicked," the other twin said.  
  
Tara wasn't sure if he knew it was a joke. Since both of the Weasleys had been filled in on Sunnydale experiences by Dawn, there was always the possiblity that it wasn't a joke in the first place.  
  
"We heard you two are confined to the school," said the first twin.  
  
Tara nodded and Dawn looked glum.  
  
"You know, Harry is having that same problem," the second twin spoke up. "It's a real shame."  
  
Tara narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the furtive glances both twins were giving Dawn. She would have to have a talk with the teen later about responsibility and safety. When she wasn't in the infirmary for being attacked after wandering around on her own, of course.  
  
"Um," Dawn said, hopping up from the bed, "we have to go, um, study some stuff."  
  
Tara rolled her eyes. "I'm injured, not stupid, Dawn."  
  
Dawn flashed her a grin and practically dragged the twins out of the room.  
  
Tara closed her eyes and willed the headache that was forming to go away. If Dawn was anything like Willow had described Buffy at her age, she'd be out of the school within the hour. She sat back and rested a hand on the letter in her lap, debating whether or not she was too tired to deal with it at the moment.  
  
Her decision was made for her when the infirmary door opened yet again, this time quietly. A light entered the room, followed by a tired looking former librarian.  
  
"How are you doing?" Giles asked as he stood just inside the doorway.  
  
Tara smiled weakly, "Dawn just left."  
  
Giles laughed. "Ah yes, so I imagine you're tired."  
  
Tara nodded.  
  
"Are you up for one more visitor?"  
  
Tara nodded again, curious as to who else wanted to see her.  
  
Giles disappeared outside. When he returned, he was followed by someone whom Tara had assumed she wouldn't see until she returned to California.  
  
"Hey Anya," Tara greeted the former demon in surprise.  
  
"Oh, you look horrible," Anya replied, rushing past Giles to take a seat at the foot of the bed.  
  
"Um, what are you doing here?" Tara inquired, wondering if Xander was around too.  
  
"I'm here to help Rupert," she replied.  
  
"Oh." Tara looked up at Giles, who had laid a hand on Anya's shoulder.  
  
He was looking down at Anya with concern.  
  
"Um, is Xander with you?" Tara asked cautiously.  
  
"No he's not," Anya said, frowning.  
  
Tara glanced back up at Giles, who shook his head. When she looked back at Anya, the other girl was studying her with curiosity.  
  
"You're a lesbian," she said.  
  
Tara nodded, wondering if perhaps she had hit her head harder than she thought and this was all just a weird dream.  
  
"But your almost ex-girlfriend used to be in love with Xander," Anya continued.  
  
Tara looked at her quizzically.  
  
She leaned forward and took Tara's hand in hers. "Don't you wish something horrible would happen to him?" 


	19. Covert Ops

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. You guys are giving me awesome reviews, which makes me enjoy writing the story that much more! The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 19: Covert Ops  
  
"I'm so sorry," Tara offered Anya her condolences after hearing about Xander's recent actions. "I think maybe you should take some time and talk to someone about it before skipping straight to the vengeance."  
  
"I suppose," Anya grumbled. "We'll see how it goes."  
  
Tara couldn't help but laugh at her indignation despite the horrible situation.  
  
Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we should let you rest."  
  
Anya nodded. "Yes, it was pleasant speaking with you even though you couldn't help me with my problem."  
  
Giles gave Tara an apologetic smile from behind Anya, who suddenly perked up.  
  
"I bet Dawn has some sort of angsty teenage problem with Xander."  
  
Tara couldn't decide if she should be amused or worried as Giles ushered Anya out of the room. She decided that sleep was more important at the moment, and managed to place Willow's still unread letter on the side table before drifting off.  
  
When she awoke, she felt almost normal again. Other than the lingering headache, she couldn't even tell she had been injured. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, cringing as she realized how long it had been since she last had a shower. Rolling over on her side, Tara noticed a note that had apparently been left for her. She read it quickly and couldn't suppress her relieved sigh.  
  
Tara slowly got out of her bed, grabbing the robe that was resting on a nearby chair and throwing it on, loosely cinching the waist. She made her way across the room, still trying to fully awaken, and knocked lightly on the door to the room that she assumed was Pomfrey's office.  
  
The door opened a moment later to reveal a smiling Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"You're awake," she said, stating the obvious.  
  
Tara nodded, rubbing her eyes one last time. "I feel much better. I found your note."  
  
Madam Pomfrey handed her a small bottle. "Take this tomorrow morning, and don't forget about the other potion for your head."  
  
Tara nodded, taking the bottle and thanking her. She grabbed Willow's letter on the way out, after promising the slightly overbearing nurse that she would check in if she felt any worse after taking the potion.  
  
By the time she reached the portrait to her room, Tara was fully awake. She was grateful that it was so early in the morning, as her less that flattering apparel went unseen by any of the school's current residents. She spoke the password to the family guarding the door, who welcomed her home before swinging the painting open. Tara entered the room, happy that she would finally be able to shower.  
  
She was surprised to see four people huddled around the fire.  
  
"What are you guys doing?" she asked, curious as to their presence at such an ungodly early hour. Usually Dawn would be sleeping for at least three more hours.  
  
Four heads, two red, two brown, spun around, with identical deer-in- the-headlights looks on their faces.  
  
"Er, we were just talking about some stuff with Harry here," Dawn said, casting furtive glances to the nervous looking boy, who pushed his glasses back up on his nose as Tara looked at him.  
  
"Sure, Dawnie," Tara replied, wondering what could possibly make them all look as if they were ready to bolt out the door to avoid answering her questions.  
  
Dawn gave her a grin that was a less than effective attempt to reassure her.  
  
Tara sighed. "Just tell me it's not dangerous."  
  
"Of course not!" Dawn said, a little too quickly.  
  
Shaking her head, Tara waved a hand for them to continue whatever it was they were doing, before she disappeared into her bedroom.  
  
She considered taking the shower that she was so desperate for, but decided that there was something that she needed to take care of before she did anything else. Sitting down on her large four-poster bed, she pulled the letter out of her robe pocket, turning it over in her hands a few times.  
  
Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the flap, pulling out a few pieces of notebook paper. She leaned back against the headboard and began to read.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
A sound awoke Tara from the light slumber she hadn't expected to fall into. She blinked and looked around the bright bedroom for a moment when it came again. Someone was knocking at her door. She gathered up the scattered pieces of paper that she had accidentally rolled over in her sleep.  
  
"Just a second," she said in the direction of the door as she folded up the letter and put it back in her desk drawer.  
  
She retied her robe's belt and pulled open the door.  
  
"Oh!" Tara exclaimed as the door opened to reveal an intimidating Professor Snape.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey informed me that you were released earlier this morning."  
  
Tara nodded, self-consciously smoothing her tangled hair.  
  
The Potions Master stepped out of the doorway, allowing her to lead them to the sofa in front of the fire. Tara took a seat on the far end, as Snape sat next to her.  
  
She fidgeted with her robe as he gazed at her.  
  
"You look better," he finally said, ending the statement with a nod of his head.  
  
Tara gave him a small smile, forcing her hands to stay still in her lap.  
  
"I feel better."  
  
Silence descended upon them again, Snape still looking at her. Tara looked back, wondering how to begin the conversation that he undoubtedly was expecting.  
  
He saved her the trouble by bringing it up himself. "So you read the letter?"  
  
Tara nodded.  
  
She was silent long enough for him to raise an eyebrow at her, the only indication that his patience was wearing thin.  
  
Seeing the eyebrow go up, Tara couldn't help but smirk. The expression was so completely "Snape", that she remembered that, no matter what they discussed, he would remain her friend, and wouldn't judge her. Well, any more than he normally judged. Judgment, warranted or not, was a large part of his character.  
  
"She spent most of it apologizing." Tara began.  
  
"And?" Snape asked, after she hesitated for a moment.  
  
"Um, well, I guess I still don't know if she even understands what she's apologizing for."  
  
Tara sighed and rubbed her head, where, thankfully, the last of her headache had disappeared while she dozed.  
  
"What else?" Snape asked, his dark eyes searching her face as she spoke.  
  
"She wrote a little about what she's doing to get better. She's taking the cold turkey approach."  
  
The professor gave her a confused look.  
  
"Uh, she's not doing any magic at all anymore," Tara clarified.  
  
Snape nodded. His gaze left her face as he digested the information.  
  
"I suppose that is one tactic," he said, obviously having a problem with it.  
  
Tara gave him a questioning look.  
  
Snape sighed, shifting on the sofa so that he was fully facing her. "Sometimes quitting altogether backfires."  
  
Nodding, Tara pulled her robe tighter around herself, shivering slightly.  
  
The movement seemed to break Snape out of his thoughts. He frowned and shifted around again, pulling a wand out of his robes. He pointed it at the fireplace and muttered a spell, instantly creating a comfortable crackling fire that slowly pushed the chill out of the room.  
  
They sat in silence, enjoying the fire and mulling over recent events. A loud bang caused them both to turn towards the door to Dawn's room, which had been thrown open.  
  
"Sorry," a sheepish Dawn said to Tara as she came out, yawning and pulling her hair into a ponytail.  
  
Her gaze drifted to the frowning potions professor. "Oh, good morning Professor Snape," she said, her tone less than polite.  
  
Tara frowned, torn between apologizing to Snape and admonishing Dawn, knowing that neither would do any good.  
  
"Hey Tara, I'm gonna go hang out with Fred and George in their common room for awhile. You look a lot better," Dawn said, giving the older girl an honest grin.  
  
Tara smiled back, glad that Dawn seemed to be willing to leave the Snape situation alone, at least for the time being. She said goodbye to the teen, who nodded at Snape before disappearing out the door.  
  
"She is an interesting child," Snape said, watching the door close behind her.  
  
Tara snickered.  
  
Snape turned back to her. "What?"  
  
"Don't call her a child if I'm in the room, okay?" Tara replied, not even trying to suppress her grin as she pictured Dawn's reaction.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, her maturity level leaves something to be desired."  
  
Tara laughed some more, noting that Snape seemed to be struggling to contain a grin, himself.  
  
"How are you?" Snape asked, causing her laughter to die as quickly as it had begun.  
  
Tara knew that he wasn't asking about her physical ailments.  
  
"I don't know. Right now I want to run back to Sunnydale and just forgive her for everything she's done."  
  
Snape nodded, opening his mouth to speak.  
  
Tara continued before he could get a word out. "I also want to never see her again, or maybe yell at her for a week for what she did to me."  
  
Snape's mouth snapped shut. He studied Tara's face for a moment.  
  
"But mostly I want to sit down and have a long talk with her to try to understand what's going on with her."  
  
"Do you feel that you could get past your mistrust of her if you could better understand her point of view? Perhaps allow your relationship to begin again where you left off before your problems began?"  
  
Tara frowned. "I wouldn't want to do that. Problems shouldn't be ignored. They need to be worked through and solved."  
  
A ghost of a smile appeared on the professor's face. "Well, at least I haven't underestimated your intelligence."  
  
Tara smiled back.  
  
Snape stood, offering his hand to help Tara up. She took it and got to her feet.  
  
"Well, I suppose I should let you get ready for the day. Perhaps you can come by later to learn more about the potion that the fifth years are currently working on."  
  
Tara nodded her agreement and said goodbye as he left the common room. She headed back to her bedroom to grab a clean set of clothes and finally get that shower she had been putting off.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
"It's no good," Tara announced loudly as she entered the potions classroom after the last of the students had hurried out.  
  
"What, may I ask, is no good?" the Potions Professor inquired, seemingly unaffected by her dramatic entrance.  
  
He stood in front of a bubbling cauldron near the front of the room, examining the contents, and stirring at a steady rate. He briefly glanced at Tara as she took a seat near him, before turning his gaze back to the potion that was slowly changing from dark green to light red.  
  
Tara looked at the book that was open in front of him, reading the first few sentences so that she would not be lost when he began to discuss his current project.  
  
"I can't talk with Willow through letters, she can't come here because of all the magic, and I can't go back to Sunnydale until we figure out what exactly is going on with Doc."  
  
"Oh dear, it's just hopeless," Snape said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
Tara hit him lightly on the shoulder, making sure she didn't disrupt the stirring.  
  
He gave her a brief smile, which quickly turned into a frown. "I suppose you will have to wait until your current situation is resolved. Albus is working with your Mr. Giles to find a solution."  
  
"I know," Tara replied. "Of course, Mr. Giles is also trying to comfort Anya at the moment, so he'll probably be pretty distracted."  
  
Snape nodded, still stirring with remarkable precision.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tara said, leaning forward to lay her head on her hand, "I'm being ridiculous. Before I know it, the whole Doc thing will be over and Dawn and I will be heading back to Sunnydale."  
  
Snape's frown grew, but he remained silent.  
  
"What?" Tara asked, knowing he would keep the problem to himself unless she asked.  
  
"I suppose you're not the only selfish person around here."  
  
Tara waited for him to continue.  
  
He took a deep breath, and muttered something that she didn't quite catch, stopping his stirring and turning to face her. "I don't want you to leave."  
  
Tara looked up at him, raising her head from its resting place.  
  
"It's ridiculous, I know," he continued, "but it is how I feel."  
  
Tara smiled. "Professor, you're talking about your feelings. Next thing you know, you'll be looking forward to social functions."  
  
She laughed as he smirked, his attempt at his most intimidating death glare falling short.  
  
His gaze changed abruptly, and she almost gasped at the sudden intensity in his eyes.  
  
"I am serious about not wanting you to leave."  
  
Tara nodded, not trusting herself to speak.  
  
"It's not fair to you, but sometimes I can't bring myself to care."  
  
Tara lowered her head, looking at him through the hair that fell forward to cover it. Her eyes closed briefly.  
  
"I don't know if we should have this conversation."  
  
"Why?" he asked, his gaze still boring into her.  
  
"Because." she trailed off.  
  
Tara took a deep breath and raised her head, looking him in the eye. "I'm starting to feel, um-"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Conflicted." 


	20. Coming Clean

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. CinnamonGrrl- thanks for your comment. I plan on going back and rephrasing that paragraph after the holiday. I agree that it was kind of awkwardly written. Constructive criticism is always appreciated! It's good to know when you're taken out of the story by something, if only cuz it tells me that you were actually in the story at some point, which is, of course, my entire reason for writing this. Also, sorry about the delay. Family stuff has kept me from getting anything written lately. I hope to get the next chapter done over the holiday, but I don't know. It will definitely be up the weekend after next if it's not up next weekend. Whew! That was a long author's note. On with the story.  
  
Chapter 20: Coming Clean  
  
"Conflicted." Snape said in a hushed voice, repeating Tara's comment from a moment before.  
  
"Yeah," Tara replied, her voice barely more than a whisper as she played with a loose thread on her shirt.  
  
"Miss Maclay," said Snape, in a quietly commanding tone.  
  
Tara continued to look toward the floor, her face slowly turning red as she realized what she had admitted to him.  
  
"Tara," Snape said after a moment.  
  
Tara was so surprised to hear her first name that she forgot her embarrassment, her head whipping up.  
  
Professor Snape was looking intently into her face, his mouth in a slight frown. When he broke her gaze and motioned for her to follow him, she did so without hesitation. He led her into his adjoining office, motioning for her to take a seat in a chair facing his desk, while he took one next to it. Tara was almost amused to note that even in the middle of this emotional - whatever this was - he put enough thought into the situation to not sit behind his desk.  
  
*As if I'm not nervous enough.*  
  
She settled into the chair, avoiding his gaze even when it was obvious he was waiting for her to speak.  
  
"Tara," he said again, with the same result as before.  
  
"Professor," replied Tara, frowning when he flinched.  
  
He didn't comment, but rather shifted around in his seat, then reached out and took both her hands in his.  
  
"When I told you," Snape began, pausing to take a deep breath. "When I told you how I felt, I wasn't trying to force anything. I just needed you to know."  
  
Tara couldn't help but smile, her eyes focused on her hands, which were still loosely gripped by his.  
  
"It was completely selfish on my part, but I am new to this friendship concept," he added, with a hint of a smile.  
  
Tara's smile widened. She gripped his hands tighter for a moment before letting them go.  
  
She looked up at him, her smile faltering. "I feel guilty."  
  
Snape nodded but said nothing, waiting for her to continue.  
  
"I read Willow's letter and the first thought I had was 'I need to find Professor Snape.' My first thought should have been about her. It wasn't."  
  
Snape sat back in his chair, his dark eyes on Tara's face. He appeared to be contemplating her words for what seemed to be hours, when in reality it was less than a minute.  
  
"You shouldn't feel guilty," he finally said, his expression remarkably similar to what Willow called her 'resolve face'. "The fact that you feel guilty means that you do care about her feelings."  
  
Tara nodded. "I know, I just feel guilty. It's stupid, really."  
  
Shaking his head, Snape leaned forward, grabbing hold of Tara's hands again. "You're a sympathetic person, Tara. It's part of what makes you who you are."  
  
Tara tried to fight it, but she couldn't hold her grin back before he noticed.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her in his typical fashion, causing her grin to widen even further.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, beaming, "it's the name thing."  
  
Snape sighed and rolled his eyes, which only caused her to break out into a fit of giggles. He let go of her hands so that she could wipe her eyes as tears sprung up. By the time she had gotten control of herself, he was also grinning, albeit in an exasperated way.  
  
"I th-think I'm having an emotional breakdown," Tara said, catching her breath and wiping the last of her tears away.  
  
"Apparently," replied Snape.  
  
"How do you not think that Dawn and I are completely insane?" asked Tara, finally regaining her composure.  
  
"Who says I don't?"  
  
"Oh, come on, you like Dawnie, admit it."  
  
"Oh yes, I love loud American muggles who wreak havoc in my classroom on an almost daily basis."  
  
Tara grinned mischievously, the tense moments of before forgotten.  
  
"Your days would be so boring without her and the wondertwins scheming."  
  
"Yes, well, boring sounds pleasant. Much better than life threatening."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
As they both realized just how life threatening things had become, the mood was broken and their banter faltered.  
  
"Can I ask you a question?" Tara asked.  
  
Snape smirked. "Was that not a question?"  
  
This time it was Tara who rolled her eyes. "Has Professor Dumbledore said anything to you about Doc?"  
  
Snape frowned. "I don't see why he would say something to me before telling you. I'm not the one being threatened."  
  
"That wasn't an answer."  
  
"No, he hasn't said anything."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They sat in a not entirely uncomfortable silence. It was shattered by the classroom door banging open.  
  
"Professor Snape!" a familiar voice shouted.  
  
Tara jumped up from her chair just as Giles opened the door and stepped into the office.  
  
"Oh, um, hello Tara," he said, looking sheepish. "I didn't know you were here."  
  
"Hi Mr. Giles," Tara replied, kicking herself for getting embarrassed again. She could feel her face getting warm, which meant it was most likely turning an irritating shade of red too.  
  
Snape looked between the two of them before focusing on the flustered Watcher. "What can I do for you, Mr. Giles?"  
  
"Um," Giles began, glancing over at Tara, "well."  
  
He took of his glasses and began cleaning them in what was obviously an attempt to regain control of the situation.  
  
"Do you need me to leave? I can go look for Dawn," Tara offered, not sure if her presence was the cause of Giles's sudden glasses-cleaning.  
  
Giles looked at her gratefully and she began to go around him toward the door, but a hand gripped her arm, holding her back. She turned to see Snape still looking at Giles, but keeping hold of her.  
  
"Is something wrong, Mr. Giles?" Snape asked, as Giles frowned at the hand on Tara's arm.  
  
Giles looked up at Tara and, seeing that she didn't seem put off by the hand on her arm, turned back to Snape.  
  
"We have located Doc."  
  
Tara's eyes widened and the hand on her arm pulled her down until she was sitting in the chair she had just vacated. Before she even realized she was sitting again, Snape had let go of her, moving behind the desk to take his own chair, leaving the one next to Tara for Giles.  
  
Giles sat, putting his glasses back on. "He is hiding in the nearby wizarding village, but we can't pinpoint his exact location."  
  
Snape nodded, steepling his fingers and resting his elbows on his desk. "There is too much magic in Hogsmeade for your spells to find him."  
  
"The Headmaster seemed to think you might have something to contribute. Perhaps an idea of how to proceed?"  
  
Snape seemed surprised, his expression only betraying him for a moment, but long enough for Tara to see it. She wondered whether the surprise was that he was supposed to have answers or that Dumbledore had suggested him in the first place.  
  
"I will give it some thought and let you know tomorrow morning, if that is acceptable."  
  
Giles nodded. He stood up and looked over at Tara. "I was heading up to see Dawn, if you would like to join me?"  
  
Tara glanced at Snape, who nodded. She also stood, smiling at Giles. "Sure, Mr. Giles. Lead the way."  
  
They said their goodbyes, Tara's expression telling Snape that their conversation was far from over, and left the room.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
"It's not fair!" Dawn said, a bit too loudly, for the fifth time in two hours. "What other chance will I get to see a real wizard-filled town? They have cool stores and stuff."  
  
Tara eyed Dawn. "Stores?"  
  
"Yeah," Dawn said enthusiastically. "Where they sell all kinds of cool candy and stuff. Those chocolate frogs, crazy-flavored jelly beans, all kinds of stuff. And there's this pub-type place where they sell this drink called butterbeer-"  
  
"Dawn." Tara interrupted the girl before she could turn the conversation into a full-on rant.  
  
Dawn looked over at her, her excited expression changing to one Tara was all too familiar with.  
  
*Crap,* Tara thought. She put on her intimidating face. "What did you do?"  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Dawn in her best 'I'm totally innocent and wrongly accused' voice.  
  
Tara's eyes narrowed. "Dawnie."  
  
"So what were you studying with Snape today?"  
  
Tara almost laughed out loud at Dawn's blatant attempt at a subject change. "Dawn, what did you do?"  
  
"I didn't do anything?"  
  
Tara studied her some more, until the younger girl began shifting her weight from foot to foot and biting her lip.  
  
"What are you planning to do?"  
  
"Nothing!" Dawn said a little too quickly.  
  
*Aha!* "Just promise me that it's not dangerous-"  
  
"It's not!"  
  
"-and it doesn't involve Professor Snape-"  
  
"Like I want to see Mr. Brood all pissed off again."  
  
"-and it doesn't involve going into the wizard town."  
  
Guilt flashed across Dawn's face as she neglected to dispute this last one.  
  
"Dawnie," Tara said, her stomach twisting into knots as she realized that, of course, Dawn didn't know about Doc being so close. "You have to promise me you'll stay here."  
  
"Tara-"  
  
"Promise me!" Tara said, so harshly that Dawn flinched.  
  
"I promise," Dawn replied, scared by the look on Tara's face. "What's going on?"  
  
"It's not my place to say, Dawn. I think you should talk to Mr. Giles."  
  
Dawn nodded, her trepidation obvious on her face. She looked so worried that Tara couldn't help but try to lighten the mood.  
  
"So which one of the twins do you have a crush on?"  
  
"Ew!" Dawn exclaimed, sticking her tongue out, "they're like my brothers!"  
  
Both girls laughed, their problems pushed into the backs of their minds, to be mulled over later.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
By the time it was late enough for her to go to sleep without arousing suspicion that she was still injured, and therefore inciting everyone in the common room to drag her back to the infirmary, Tara was dead on her feet. She sighed aloud as she slipped beneath the blankets on her large four-poster bed, laying back on the soft pillows and closing her eyes.  
  
An hour later, she was still awake.  
  
She kept telling herself that the whole Willow/Snape situation could wait, but her brain just wouldn't listen. She rolled over and tried to get more comfortable, closing her eyes and willing herself to fall asleep.  
  
After a few more minutes, she sighed and sat up, turning the barely burning bedside lamp's flame up until it illuminated Willow's letter, which had managed to make it's way into plain view, next to the lamp.  
  
Tara pulled her knees up to her chest, rocking back and forth and staring at the letter, as if it was about to jump up and start singing the solution to her problems.  
  
*Not that farfetched, considering.* she thought, snickering to herself about the entire situation.  
  
She stared at it for another few minutes, listening to the wind whipping against the castle walls and the incredibly loud sound of her own heartbeat. Finally, she gave in and picked up the letter, pulling the lamp closer so that she could read it again.  
  
By the time she got to Willow's fifth explanation of why she was sorry and how she was planning on getting better and making it up to her, Tara was more conflicted than ever. All she wanted to do was take the letter to Snape and force him to break it down for her and explain why she was feeling all these foreign emotions. Unfortunately, the rational side of Tara told her that it wasn't Snape's problem to solve. Only she could figure out what her heart was telling her.  
  
Tara put the letter down and forced all thoughts of running down to the potions classroom out of her head. It was late and, although he was probably awake, he shouldn't have to deal with this right now.  
  
*Neither should I,* Tara thought, laying back down and resuming the long wait for sleep. 


	21. The Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth and thanks for sticking with it. Sorry about the delay. I was sick and unemployed and basically everything bad all at once, but I'm better now, thank goodness. The next chapter should be up next weekend.  
  
Chapter 21: The Eye of the Storm  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Tara exclaimed, bursting through the potions classroom door in the early hours of the morning.  
  
"What is ridiculous?" Snape asked, barely glancing up from his work.  
  
"This-" Tara began before taking a closer look at the haggard professor. "Have you been working all night?"  
  
Snape nodded, still concentrating on his stirring.  
  
"Oh, um, I could come back after you've gotten some sleep," Tara stammered, suddenly unsure of herself.  
  
The hand that was stirring faltered for a moment. "Stay," he said, gesturing to the seat next to him with his free hand.  
  
Tara's nervousness left as quickly as it had come and she did as he requested, taking the empty seat and curiously inspecting his potion.  
  
"So, what are you making?" she asked, stalling as she tried to make sense of why she was in the room in the first place.  
  
"Actually, it is something I wanted to discuss with you," Snape answered, "but I would first like to know what is so ridiculous."  
  
"Did I say ridiculous?" Tara asked, feigning innocence as she helped him bottle the now finished potion.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not amused.  
  
Sighing, Tara put her bottle on the table and played with the cap as she organized her thoughts.  
  
"I've been going over it in my head. Trying to justify my feelings. It's like."  
  
Snape continued to look at her, waiting for her to get her thoughts out.  
  
"It's like I don't recognize my own head." She gave him a half apologetic smile. "I don't really know how to put it."  
  
"You're confused because I am not a woman," Snape replied, almost as a question.  
  
Tara's smile faltered. "I'm confused because you're not Willow."  
  
The Potions Master frowned, reaching forward to stroke Tara's cheek lightly. "Did you really think that we are only allowed one chance in our lives?"  
  
Nodding, Tara's eyes closed briefly as Snape's hand stayed where it was, now simply resting on her cheek.  
  
"Why?" he asked in a low tone, afraid that if he spoke too loudly they would suddenly remember why this was a bad idea.  
  
"She made me what I am," replied Tara, trying to make him understand.  
  
The Professor abruptly removed his hand, causing Tara to look up at him in surprise. His eyes were narrowed and he suddenly looked angry.  
  
"No" was all he said.  
  
Tara studied his face, confused as to what he was answering with "no". Her confusion, and perhaps the smallest hint of fear, did not go unnoticed by Snape, who tried to soften his expression before elaborating.  
  
"She allowed you to be who you already were. No one can make another person be anything. They can only speed up the process a little."  
  
Tara stepped back. "You don't know what it was like for me before her. She did make me better."  
  
Snape looked at her in silence for a moment. Finally, his expression turned to one of resolve. He held his hands up in front of him in a gesture of defeat before taking a nearby seat.  
  
"You should be with the person you love."  
  
Tara's eyes widened and she took another step back. "Oh." She said before sitting down hard on the bench behind her.  
  
Snape's expression changed from resolve to concern at her reaction, but he stayed where he was.  
  
"I get it now," Tara said, possibly to herself more than the other occupant of the room.  
  
Snape waited for her to continue.  
  
"I was you," she said to him, coming back from wherever her mind had drifted a moment before. "It's exactly like before."  
  
Staring at her face, trying to discern where this was going, Snape spoke up. "Before?"  
  
"Before, with Willow." She replied, his look of resolve from a moment before now on her face.  
  
After a lengthy silence, Snape cleared his throat, startling Tara out of her thoughts.  
  
"Um, with Oz. Willow and me and Oz. When Oz came back Willow and I had just started being together. Then he's back out of the blue and she had to figure out what to do about it. She felt an obligation to Oz because she had sort of assumed that they'd be back together after he figured out the werewolf thing, and he was her first real love. But she chose me."  
  
Tara looked up at Snape and smiled. "I told her she should be with the person she loved and she said she was."  
  
The Professor's brow furrowed for a moment as he absorbed what she was saying, and then his eyes widened. "Ah."  
  
Tara's smile grew wider. "I think I've figured it out. It won't be easy, but it feels so much better to know."  
  
"You have to tell her."  
  
"I know," Tara said, the smile still on her face, "but I can worry about that later, can't I?"  
  
Snape nodded, willing himself to get up. He took the few steps to Tara and pulled her to a standing position. He smiled back at her for a moment before leaning in and doing what he had been wanting to do for what seemed like forever. Tara returned the kiss, hesitantly at first, and then with more fervor. They finally broke apart when they both had to breathe, looking at each other in a whole new light.  
  
Snape hugged Tara to his chest tightly. He didn't want to ever let her go, now that she was here, but he knew that this wasn't the right time. He still had potions to prepare before classes began.  
  
Sighing, he stepped back from her and stroked her hair once. "I need to get some things finished before class, but perhaps you could come back at the end of the day?"  
  
Tara smiled, nodding. "Of course. I should probably get back to the rooms before Dawn sends out a search party."  
  
Snape touched her cheek one last time before nodding himself. She gave him a large grin and then turned and left the classroom, which now seemed so much warmer than a dank dungeon.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
By the time she arrived back at the rooms she shared with Dawn, Tara's smile had almost left her completely. She hesitated before saying the password and slipping inside. As she entered the cozy common area, she was surprised when, instead of an angry teenager, she encountered a former demon.  
  
"Hi Anya," Tara said, taking a seat next to her.  
  
Anya glanced up from staring into the fire, and Tara saw with surprise that she had been crying.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Tara, immediately on guard.  
  
Anya shook her head, wiping her eyes. "Everything. I think I made a bad decision.  
  
"What decision?"  
  
"I thought it would be like it was. Xander is just a stupid man who hurt a woman and needed to see the error of his ways, so I took what I had been wanting for so long and I became a demon again, but now I have all these human feelings and I can't make them go away."  
  
"Oh." Tara said, relieved that it wasn't something worse.  
  
"And Giles has been very helpful, but I can't trust him, being a man and all, and I'm afraid that when I get back to the shop all the money will be gone."  
  
Tara smiled a bit at the last part. "I'm sure the money is fine. Who did you leave in charge of it this time?"  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Oh," Tara said, biting her lower lip. "Because Spike is a man, right?"  
  
"Of course. And Willow can't be trusted to not make the cash register disappear."  
  
"Right."  
  
They fell into an awkward silence as Tara tried to think of something comforting to say that didn't involve complimenting Anya on her money. Finally, she gave up.  
  
"Even if the worst happened, and Buffy did ruin the shop, I'm sure you could make it up in no time on the stock market or something."  
  
Anya sat up straighter. "That is true. I am very good at investing wisely. It's really not that hard once you figure out how the whole thing works, you know." She turned to Tara and smiled brightly, her sadness momentarily forgotten. "I could show you. I could give you a tutorial on investing soundly."  
  
"Um, sure," Tara replied, "maybe later in the week. I'll get back to you on that."  
  
Anya's smile grew and she hugged Tara briefly. "I'll make some graphs."  
  
She jumped up from the couch and straightened her skirt. "I should get back to my room. I have a lot to prepare."  
  
Tara nodded, not wanting to say the wrong thing.  
  
Anya left, the door shutting loudly behind her. Tara's smile returned for a moment before she remembered that Dawn was in the next room, still hopeful that Tara and Willow would patch things up especially after the Xander/Anya fiasco..  
  
Tara sighed, pulling her legs up onto the couch. She stared into the fire and tried to figure out how she was going to break the news to Dawn.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
A few hours later, the room was bathed in sunlight and Tara was still unsure as to how she was going to tell the teen what she didn't want to hear. There would almost certainly be some yelling, and possibly some crying. Willow and Tara were almost like surrogate parents to her, and it would be like her parents getting divorced all over again.  
  
Tara pulled herself out of her morose state and looked down at her watch. Frowning at how late it had become, she stood. After stretching a few kinks out, she crossed to Dawn's room and knocked lightly. No one answered. She knocked again, louder. Still no answer. Finally, she opened the door and peeked around.  
  
"Dawn?" she said, her frown deepening as she saw an empty bed and Dawn nowhere in sight.  
  
Butterflies filled her stomach as she entered the room, hoping that Dawn was just hunched over behind the bed where she couldn't see her. After walking all the way around the room, it was obvious that not only was the teenager not there, she hadn't been there at least since Tara had arrived back at the common room.  
  
Tara tried to tell herself that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Dawn's absence, but all she could think was that she had failed to protect her and something horrible had happened.  
  
She ran out of the room and headed out in search of Giles.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
All she found in Giles's room was Anya asleep on the couch. Trying to keep herself from panicking, she considered all the places Giles could be, and decided on the Great Hall.  
  
Tara ran through the halls of the castle faster than she knew was possible, almost knocking down a surprised student and going right through a very angry Sir Nicholas. She skidded to a halt outside the Great Hall, composing herself before entering. To her dismay, the room was empty, everyone having already eaten and headed to class.  
  
As she turned around to run off in another direction, she smacked into the object of her search.  
  
"Tara?" Giles said, grabbing her arm to keep her from falling backward. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Have you seen D-dawn?" she stammered, immediately knowing that the answer was no as fear flooded his face.  
  
"How long has she been missing?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. At least a few hours. She must have left in the middle of the night."  
  
Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them furiously. "We should find Dumbledore."  
  
Tara nodded and fell into step behind him as he led the way to the Headmaster's office.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
"We should call the Weasley twins in and see if they know anything about this. She may have just fallen asleep in their common room and headed to class with them in the morning. There is no reason to panic yet."  
  
The Headmaster was obviously trying to be comforting, but his use of the word "yet" didn't help Tara calm down at all. The three of them were sitting in his office, trying to figure out where Dawn could be and why she wouldn't have at least left a note.  
  
"It isn't like her. She knows how worried we are about the whole situation. I think she would have told me where she was going to be so that we wouldn't freak out."  
  
"It's okay," Giles said, patting Tara on the back in a comforting manner, "We'll find her. We've dealt with worse."  
  
"But Buffy was always around for the worse."  
  
Giles nodded, apparently out of comforting things to say.  
  
Just then, the door to the office opened and a worried looking Harry Potter entered, followed by an even more worried looking Professor Lupin.  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore asked, eating a lemon drop and looking almost as old as he actually was.  
  
Lupin looked at Tara and Giles. "Mr. Potter has told me something that concerns you two."  
  
He motioned for Harry to speak.  
  
The young boy swallowed audibly and looked straight at Tara. "It's Dawn."  
  
"What about her?" asked Giles, now holding Tara tightly to his side.  
  
"I wasn't supposed to tell, but I asked Professor Lupin and he said that it was important that you knew everything she was doing."  
  
"What?" Tara asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"She snuck into Hogsmeade last night." 


	22. No Refunds or Exchanges

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. We're getting to the end, and there will be an epilogue, which was actually where the idea for the story came from. I guess I did it all backwards. How typical. The next chapter should be up next week.  
  
Chapter 22: No Refunds or Exchanges  
  
"I must insist that I go look for her," Giles said as soon as he heard Dawn was missing.  
  
"I'm going too," Tara added, her tone making it clear that arguing would be pointless.  
  
Dumbledore looked lost in thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Of course. I will alert the Dementors. There should be no problem getting to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Um," Tara spoke up, catching Giles as he turned to leave. "Could we bring someone with us who knows the area a bit?"  
  
"Ah, yes," replied Dumbledore, "I believe Severus would be willing to offer his assistance."  
  
The Headmaster went to the fireplace to floo Professor Snape.  
  
"We'll find her," Giles said to Tara in a quiet voice, startling her out of her worried thoughts.  
  
She gave him a weak smile in return and watched in fascination as the Potions Professor stepped out of the Headmaster's fireplace. He dusted himself off before looking around the room and locking eyes with Tara. She didn't even attempt to cover her worried expression as he crossed to her and hesitantly took her in his arms.  
  
"We will find her," he said in her ear as she hugged him back.  
  
She nodded and looked over at Giles, who was furiously cleaning his glasses. Giving him a smirk, she followed behind as he led them out of the office.  
  
"Tara, could you gather up something of Dawn's before we head out?" Snape asked as they reached the hall.  
  
"Something specific?"  
  
"Any article of clothing that she has worn recently would be suitable. I will explain once we are on our way."  
  
Tara nodded and jogged off in the direction of the room she shared with the missing teen. She grabbed the first thing she saw, which happened to be a thin jacket that Dawn had thrown on the floor in front of her bed, and ran back as quickly as she could. When she reached the two waiting men, she noticed that they both seemed to be avoiding each other's gazes and Professor Snape had a scowl on his face, not that that was particularly unusual.  
  
"Will this work?" she asked. Handing him the jacket.  
  
"It should be fine. Let's head out."  
  
They walked toward Hogsmeade at a brisk pace, Tara and Giles waiting for an explanation. Snape finally began to fill them in when they were halfway there.  
  
"I have a potion that will enhance the senses, so that we may be able to track her once we reach town."  
  
"So like a scent dog or something?" Tara asked, finally understanding the point of the jacket.  
  
"Like an animal tracks it's prey. Anywhere she has recently been, whomever takes the potion will be able to follow."  
  
They fell into silence, all trying to walk a little faster, the only sounds their strained breathing.  
  
As they rounded one of the last corners before town, Giles ran into someone running toward the school, and both of them fell to the ground, grunting.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Giles exclaimed, struggling to stand, and placing his glasses back on his face.  
  
"Weasley?" Snape asked, in a worried voice, pulling the redhead to his feet.  
  
The boy gasped and almost fell back down, cringing as his ankle gave out. "Someone took them," he said in a high, panicked voice, leaning to one side. "I don't know where. We need to tell Dumbledore."  
  
"The headmaster knows Dawn is missing. Who else?" Giles asked, putting the boy's arm around him and supporting his bad ankle.  
  
"Fred," the boy, George, Tara presumed, replied. "They knocked us over from behind and took our wands. I just ran. Maybe if I had stayed and helped-"  
  
"We wouldn't even have this much information," Snape said, cutting him off before he could get lost in his guilt. "Don't blame yourself."  
  
George looked at Snape in surprise, nodding. "What should I do?"  
  
"You should go back to the school and let Madam Pomfrey inspect your ankle. It may be broken."  
  
"Okay," George said.  
  
Tara was surprised that he didn't object and try to come with them, but it seemed that Snape still had authority, even in as confused a situation as the current one.  
  
Giles let go of the teen and watched him carefully and he put his bad foot down. "Do you think you can make it back on your own?"  
  
"Yeah," George replied, cringing again, but managing to walk. "I think it's just sprained. I'll be fine. Go find Fred and Dawn."  
  
Snape nodded and headed off toward town, not waiting to see if Tara and Giles were following. They jogged to catch up and soon all three reached their destination.  
  
"We should start here," Snape said, pulling a bottle out of his robes. "If you would do the honors, Mr. Giles."  
  
Giles took the bottle and swirled its contents around for a moment before downing them. He coughed once and dropped the bottle onto the ground, staring at nothing. Tara looked to Snape to see if it was supposed to affect him right away, and relaxed when the Professor held up a hand.  
  
A minute later Giles came out of his trance and motioned that he was okay. He looked up at the sky and sniffed the air.  
  
"Amazing," he said, looking around once, and then removing his glasses.  
  
"Here," Snape said, handing him the jacket.  
  
Giles held it to his nose and inhaled once. He handed it back to Snape and put his nose in the air again.  
  
He pointed down the street in front of them. "This way."  
  
"That's just odd," Tara said under her breath as she followed, Snape pulling up the rear.  
  
"I can hear you, you know," Giles replied, still sniffing the air.  
  
"That's odd too."  
  
~-~-~-  
  
A few minutes later, Giles held up a hand, motioning them to stop. He had led them past a row of small shops and off the main street to a side street that was slightly run down and shadier looking. Tara shivered as the wind picked up, cutting easily through her light jacket. She looked back as Snape put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He gave her a small smile and rubbed her shoulder. She smiled back and turned around, to see Giles peeking around the corner of the building in front of them.  
  
He motioned for them to follow, and they all walked as silently as they could around the corner, coming to a halt behind a stack of barrels. Giles held up another hand for them to stop and they fell silent, waiting. A moment later, a side door burst open and Tara almost gasped as a very familiar redhead was literally thrown out, landing on his back.  
  
Snape's hand tightened on her shoulder, holding her where she was, as the door closed again. After what seemed like an hour, but was really only a few seconds, Giles motioned for Snape to grab the boy and come back to where they were hiding.  
  
He walked quietly over to the unconscious boy, gathering him in his arms and bringing him back. He deposited him on the ground, placing Dawn's jacket under his head to make him comfortable.  
  
"He is breathing normally and appears to just be knocked out," the Professor muttered, taking his outer robes off and laying them over the redhead.  
  
"I can sense four creatures inside. One is Dawn, but none of the others are human." Giles whispered. "I suggest we try the door. The element of surprise has worked for us many times in the past."  
  
"Alright," Snape muttered back.  
  
He looked at Tara, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.  
  
"You know I'm coming too," Tara whispered, smiling when his expression turned to slight embarrassment. "I can help."  
  
"Of course."  
  
They all looked down at the unconscious Weasley twin one last time before heading toward the door.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
"You think you can just get away with this, little girl?" a calm voice said from inside the building.  
  
Giles turned the knob, almost sighing in relief when he discovered that it was unlocked. He silently opened it and all three of them slipped inside.  
  
"Get away with what?" Dawn's voice rang out across the large room, wavering slightly.  
  
Tara looked around to discover they were in some sort of warehouse. She was almost amused at the normalcy of the setting. All in all, she could just as easily be back in Sunnydale, trying to save Dawn from the latest vampire threat. The only difference was that all of the items scattered around the room were unfamiliar to her, and there were no machines or vehicles to carry them around.  
  
*Wizards can just levitate things. That would save so much money,* she randomly thought to herself. *I think I'm turning into Anya.*  
  
Dawn's sudden yelp whipped her head around, and she peered through the shelves that were shielding them from view, trying to discern where everyone was.  
  
She opened her mouth to ask Giles if he could see them, but was silenced with a slashing gesture. Giles them held his hands up to his ears.  
  
*Vampires,* Tara thought, understanding immediately. *Superhearing.*  
  
She looked around at Snape and Giles, waiting for an indication of what to do next. The Potions Professor held up his wand and indicated that he was going to lead the charge to rescue Dawn, who was now audibly crying.  
  
Tara followed as they jumped out from behind the shelves. As soon as she was out far enough to see Dawn across the room, someone jumped Snape from the side, knocking his wand from his hand. His face hit the floor with a crunch and blood began to run down his face, from a now broken nose. The same person - vampire, Tara corrected after seeing his face- punched Giles in the face, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"That's enough," a voice said from behind Dawn, who was still crying, but looking a little hopeful as her possible rescue party arrived.  
  
The vampire snarled at Tara before turning and walking back over to where Dawn and the others were. Another vampire stood beside Dawn, and someone stood behind her, hidden from view.  
  
"Doc," Tara said, guessing at the identity of the hidden person.  
  
"Very good," he replied, stepping out from behind the now silent teen. "And you must be one of Sunnydale group."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then you understand why this must be done."  
  
Tara glanced down as Giles let out a small moan, coming to.  
  
"Why must this be done?" Snape asked, wiping his nose as best he could without making the break any worse.  
  
"Why are you here?" Doc asked, instead of answering.  
  
"I want to be."  
  
Doc scowled, and shrugged his shoulders. He looked up at Dawn, who was slightly taller than him, and then back at Snape.  
  
"She destroyed the Great Glorificus, and therefore she must repay the debt."  
  
"A teenager who couldn't make a potion correctly if her life depended on it defeated this Glorificus?" Snape asked, his voice oozing skepticism.  
  
"She had help," Doc replied, indicating the now completely awake Giles, who was struggling to stand.  
  
"Ah," Snape replied. "But somehow she is to blame."  
  
"Yes," hissed Doc, obviously growing irritated with the conversation. "And you three can watch."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened as Doc pulled out a knife. Snape began to cross to her, but was stopped by two snarling vampires. Tara looked around desperately as Doc began to cut a shallow incision down Dawn's arm.  
  
She almost screamed in frustration at the lack of wood in the room as Giles and Snape ran full speed at the vampires, tackling them to the ground and throwing punches.  
  
"Tara!" Dawn cried as she struggled with the ropes holding her to the pole behind her and Doc continued to make shallow cuts.  
  
Tara took a deep breath and gathered up all her energy. She tried something that had never worked for her in the past, hoping that some of the magic of the town would somehow reach her.  
  
"Aduro a Phoebus!" she yelled, holding her hands above her head.  
  
A bright flash made everyone look up, and then a small glowing ball appeared, floating a few inches above Tara's head.  
  
Both vampires screamed as the turned to dust, causing Giles and Snape to fall to the ground where they had previously been.  
  
Tara held up a hand toward Doc as the ball disappeared. His hand stopped a hair's breadth from Dawn's throat, and the knife clattered to the ground. He screamed aloud as Tara tightened her hand into a fist, causing him to collapse.  
  
Just as his body hit the ground, Tara began to shake, and by the time Snape had recovered enough to stand, she was crying.  
  
He walked hesitantly to her as Giles untied Dawn and made sure Doc was fully unconscious. He held out a hand, but Tara ignored it, instead grabbing him and hugging him tightly, still crying and shaking.  
  
Snape heard her say something that was muffled by his clothing, where she had her face buried.  
  
"What was that?" he asked softly, not quite sure how to deal with a crying female who has just been through something so traumatic.  
  
She turned her head to look toward Giles and Dawn, finally resting her eyes on Doc's form, still unmoving.  
  
"Is he dead?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away.  
  
Giles looked at Snape and opened his mouth, closing it again after a moment. Snape nodded in understanding.  
  
"He wasn't a man," he said to Tara, holding her chin and forcing her to look him in the eye. "He was just like any other monster you have been forced to slay in the past."  
  
Tara nodded, her crying ending. She was still shaking as Dawn ran over to her and hugged her.  
  
"You saved my life," she said, trying to keep her cut arm away from her body.  
  
Tara nodded.  
  
"You did a good thing," Dawn said, frowning.  
  
Looking past her at Doc's form, Tara nodded again.  
  
She looked up at Snape. "I killed him." 


	23. The End, Almost

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
Thanks to all of my reviewers from ff.net and Twisting the Hellmouth. Thanks for sticking with it. The next chapter is the Epilogue.  
  
Chapter 23: The End, Almost  
  
She was avoiding him. She knew it, and by now he definitely knew it too. Every time she thought about talking to him about it, her stomach protested and she had to take deep breaths to keep herself from running as far away as possible.  
  
It had been three days since Doc had been killed - at her hands, she reminded herself with a shudder. Three days of pretending to sleep and using Dawn as an intercept.  
  
*I just need to sort out my feelings,* Tara said to herself, knowing that this was a lie.  
  
What she needed to do was talk to Professor Snape. It was time. Actually, it was long past time.  
  
Tara nodded to herself, knowing that this time her resolve was real. This was something that she couldn't just ignore, or someone would be seriously injured. Hauling herself out of her bed where she had been laying  
  
*hiding*  
  
Tara pulled a hand through her hair and straightened out her skirt and shirt as best she could. She took a deep breath and wandered over to the mirror that stood beside her desk.  
  
*You can do this,* she thought as she stared at her reflection. She almost grimaced when she saw how tired she looked. Recovering from this was going to take more than a trip to the infirmary. She ran a hand through her hair again, finally turning and leaving the room.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Tara hesitantly knocked on the Potions classroom door.  
  
"Enter," a voice called from inside.  
  
Slowly inching the door open, she peeked her head around to see if Professor Snape was the only person present. She almost sighed out loud when she saw that he, indeed, was alone.  
  
"Hey," she said, nervously petting her skirt down, as if a perfect appearance would help her say what needed to be said.  
  
"How are you?" Snape asked, standing stiffly on the other side of the classroom. "I haven't seen you since.the incident."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They stood in awkward silence for a minute before Snape finally took a seat, motioning for her to do the same in the chair next to him.  
  
"How are you?" Snape asked again, looking at her face, frowning when she wouldn't make eye contact with him.  
  
"I need to tell you something," Tara began, falling silent when she couldn't figure out how to just say it.  
  
Snape studied her face a moment longer. He finally sat back, closing his eyes briefly before speaking. "It's not going to work, is it?"  
  
Tara looked up, trying to keep herself from throwing up and starting to cry at the same time. Her nausea passed, but the tears were dangerously close to the surface.  
  
"No."  
  
"He was a demon, Tara. You did what you had to do."  
  
Tara shook her head, wadding her hand in her skirt to keep herself from reaching out and touching him, if only for a moment. "I know that. It's not that."  
  
"Then what?" Snape asked, his concern becoming overshadowed by his desperation to change her mind.  
  
"I didn't mean to."  
  
"I know," Snape replied, still feeling as if he was missing some sort of vital inner dialogue that she refused to articulate.  
  
"I mean, I shouldn't have even been able to."  
  
As Tara finally looked him in the eye, it all clicked into place.  
  
"Oh," Snape said.  
  
He sat all the way back in his chair, staring at the wall behind her. "Oh."  
  
"This place," Tara began, gesturing in the general direction of the ceiling, "It's different from Sunnydale. It's filled with magic. I feel as if I can do anything here. My power is so much stronger."  
  
"As strong as Willow's," Snape replied, rubbing his face with his hand.  
  
"Yeah," whispered Tara in reply.  
  
They fell into silence again, neither looking at the other.  
  
Tara shifted around in her chair, releasing her skirt and straightening it out again, in what was becoming a reflexive move.  
  
"It's not right. The timing is awful. There are so many reasons."  
  
Snape nodded, unable to think of anything to say that would make a difference.  
  
"I felt what it was like. I've never done that before. I've always been so scared of Willow having too much power and not knowing how to keep it from overtaking her, and then there I was, killing a man-"  
  
"Demon."  
  
"-because he made me angry."  
  
Tara looked at him, her tone changing to one of pleading. "I didn't mean to do that, but I was so angry and so scared. I couldn't let Dawn go through that again and not know if he would be coming back for her later on down the road. And, in that moment, I killed him."  
  
"Maybe nothing has changed," Snape replied. "Maybe you still need to stay away from her."  
  
Tara shook her head. "I know what the answer is now. It's not like with Oz. She was what set him off. He had others who could help him. Willow needs me. She doesn't have anyone else. She has to stay in Sunnydale, and to do that, she has to have support."  
  
"Maybe I need you," Snape replied, his voice almost too quiet to hear.  
  
"You don't. You have Professor Dumbledore. You needed him. What would life be like if he hadn't been there?"  
  
"She has no one," Snape said, as if trying to comprehend how this had all happened.  
  
"It was bad timing," Tara said, apropos of nothing.  
  
"Was there ever good timing?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Snape looked up at her sharply.  
  
"I'm not promising anything, but I can't predict the future. There is something between us. I'm just not ready for it."  
  
"I know this is new to you-"  
  
"That's not it," Tara cut him off. "But that is part of it. I feel that this is real, but I need to make sure that I'm not just taking the easy way out."  
  
Snape laughed out loud.  
  
"What?" Tara asked, smiling a bit at his outburst.  
  
"I apologize," replied Snape, still laughing a bit, "it's just that somehow I don't see anyone believing that I am the easy choice in any situation."  
  
Tara grinned back at him. "You are, though."  
  
Her grin faltered when the Potions Professor turned his gaze her way. He was looking at her so intently that she almost had to turn away, opting instead to drop her eyes to her lap, where she was fiddling with the hem of her shirt.  
  
"How am I the easy choice?"  
  
"You're the only choice I've ever had as far as normalcy goes."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief.  
  
"Just imagine it," Tara said, smiling again, "if I were to stay, I would be among tons of witches and dating a man."  
  
Snape's face now held a ghost of a smile. "Is it so bad back home?"  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
He nodded. "But it was for awhile?"  
  
"I had to hide who I was. No one accepted witchcraft as a real thing, or if they did, it meant I was a demon. Being gay just made me more different."  
  
"Different isn't bad."  
  
"I know that. It is hard, though. Then it all changed."  
  
"When she came along?"  
  
Tara sighed. "I know you don't think she made me who I am, and maybe that was overstating it a little, but without her, I definitely wouldn't have been confident enough to even speak to you. Or be in this place at all. I'd be hiding in my room, practicing spells and avoiding phone calls from my father. Or I'd just be a prisoner in my father's house. Either way, I would never have gotten to know you."  
  
"Well then," replied Snape, leaning forward, "I am glad that she came into your life."  
  
"I didn't know it was possible to meet two people in one lifetime who so perfectly fit what I need in another person."  
  
"I still don't," Snape replied, giving her a look that made her start to question herself again.  
  
"It is," she said quietly. "Or maybe it's possible to meet the same person twice."  
  
"You shouldn't said things like that," replied Snape, taking her hand in his. "I'll expect you to carry through with it."  
  
"I can't promise anything," Tara replied, holding onto his hand for a moment before pulling away and standing up. "I just needed to explain. I needed you to know that it was real. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you expect."  
  
"I knew that the moment I laid eyes on you," Snape replied.  
  
"We're leaving in two days," said Tara, "I'll see you before then, but I want you to be there when we go."  
  
"I wouldn't miss it."  
  
Tara nodded once, her eyes lingering on his for a moment before she left the room.  
  
She managed to make it all the way back to her room before the tears that had been threatening to overflow finally came. She laid down on her bed, sobbing.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
The last two days of her time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry passed in a blur. Every time she saw Professor Snape, he didn't quite manage to maintain his icy demeanor. She was glad that he was feeling it too, and then feeling guilty because she was the one causing it. Somehow, she had managed to find two of the most amazing people and still she ended up in pain.  
  
*Life is funny,* she thought to herself, grimacing. *Or just really cruel.*  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Tara took one last look around the room she had spent the last few months in, making sure she hadn't left anything behind. Even though everything was safely packed away, she felt as if she was leaving a part of herself behind. Sighing, she shut the door and began her final trip to the front doors of the castle.  
  
"Ah, there you are," Giles said when she reached the front hall.  
  
All of the students were gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast, but a few had slipped out to see them off.  
  
Tara hugged Ron and Harry, warning them to stay out of trouble and laughing when they gave her exasperated looks.  
  
The Weasley twins were next, hugging her and thanking her for the umpteenth time for helping to save them and Dawn. She nodded and hugged them both again.  
  
"Don't get fresh," Dawn interrupted, dragging the twins back to the corner, where they were exchanging what appeared to be candy, but could have been anything. Knowing them, it was something that would keep everyone in Sunnydale on their toes for weeks.  
  
"Well, Miss Maclay," Professor Dumbledore said, walking over to her, "I do hope you will come back to visit soon."  
  
"I hope so too," Tara replied, smiling.  
  
"It was wonderful having you and young Miss Summers stay with us. Next time let us have it be under less dire circumstances."  
  
"Okay," Tara replied, grinning.  
  
She hugged the Headmaster, her eyes beginning to fill up with tears. She was beginning to feel as if she would never stop crying.  
  
Giles began gathering up the nags that hadn't already been shipped back to Sunnydale, while Anya said her goodbyes to the Headmaster. Tara stood back and watched as Dawn spoke animatedly to the twins, Harry, and Ron, smiling at the excitement in the younger girl's face.  
  
"Miss Maclay," a voice said from behind her.  
  
"Severus," Tara replied, turning around and pulling him into a tight embrace before he could object.  
  
He reacted almost instantly, returning the hug and rubbing her back.  
  
They stood that way for as long as possible, neither speaking, not caring who might be looking their way.  
  
They finally pulled apart when Dawn told Tara that it was time to go. When she glanced over, she expected to see disapproval on the teen's face, but was surprised to see a small smile instead. Tara returned the smile, nodding.  
  
She looked up at Snape, who put a stray hair behind her ear, his hand lingering by her cheek. "I have to go."  
  
Snape nodded. "I know."  
  
"Don't be too hard on your students," Tara said, pulling his hand into hers.  
  
Snape snorted. "I am quite certain my students can take care of themselves."  
  
"True," laughed Tara.  
  
She looked at their clasped hands for a moment. "Tell Professor Lupin I said goodbye."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Tara looked at him again. She pulled him into another hug.  
  
"If you're not careful, Snape said in her ear, "the students may start to think I've gone soft."  
  
Tara smiled, stepping back from him.  
  
"Don't forget what I said," she replied, noticing that everyone had gone outside, leaving them alone in the hall.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"In life, anything can happen."  
  
Before he could reply, she reached up to kiss him on his cheek, waving to him as she walked out the door. 


	24. Epilogue: A Lesson Unlearned

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for full disclaimer and notes.  
  
WARNING: Angst alert ahead! You have been warned. I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys have kept this story fun, and made me want to write many more. I am currently concocting a sequel, called "And Everything After", which I will be writing, though it may not be right away. I have a couple of other stories I'm working on too. Anyway, you guys ROCK! You're awesome. Okay, now onto the end.  
  
Epilogue: A Lesson Unlearned  
  
Professor Snape sat in his private study, a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand.  
  
He had been so close. Black had been locked away, with no help from Potter and his menace friends, who had somehow managed to get right in the middle of things yet again.  
  
Then he was gone.  
  
Black had vanished into thin air - undoubtedly aided by Potter, leaving him looking like a fool.  
  
Snape sighed, settling back in his chair. He was well on his way to being drunk, his mind wandering.  
  
He closed his eyes, seeing long blonde hair and a shy smile behind his lids. It was the same daydream he had been having every day since she left. It didn't feel any easier than it had that first day, and he had been taking it out on his students, being even more demanding than before. Tara wouldn't approve, but, then again, Tara wasn't there. He was entitled to his bitterness at the hand he had been dealt.  
  
He wasn't sure if the old saying was true. Was it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? They were both such painful ways to live.  
  
He was yanked out of his reverie by a knock at the door to his main room. He pulled himself out of the chair, sloshing the Firewhiskey onto the floor and cursing under his breath.  
  
"This better be good," he said in a menacing voice as he opened the door.  
  
He almost dropped his bottle when he saw who was on the other side.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, opening the door wider.  
  
"I can't stay long," Rupert Giles said, entering the room and turning back to the Potions Professor.  
  
"What happened to you?" Snape asked, taking in Giles's bruised and scratched face and slight limp.  
  
"Perhaps you should sit down," replied Giles.  
  
Snape opened his mouth to say something, instead nodding and sitting down on a nearby sofa while the former librarian remained standing.  
  
Giles took a deep breath. "There's been an incident."  
  
Snape nodded, as his stomach clenched and his heart began to race.  
  
"It's-" Giles began, stopping to pinch the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Tara's dead, Severus."  
  
Snape nodded again.  
  
Giles continued to explain what had happened, but he only heard snippets of it over the buzzing in his head.  
  
"Was it Willow?" Snape asked in a voice so low that Giles had to strain to hear it.  
  
"It was a stray bullet from a gun that was fired at Buffy. Tara was in the wrong place. Magic wasn't involved at all." Giles replied, crossing to Snape to take the bottle out of his hand and set it safely on a table.  
  
"She was right," Snape said, staring at the floor. "I underestimated her again."  
  
Giles went on, having no idea what Snape was talking about. "Willow tried to bring her back, but couldn't. She decided to exact justice instead, finally unleashing all of her power. She got very close - too close - to ending the world, but she was saved. She's in bad shape, but I believe she can be helped."  
  
"She's not in the school is she?" Snape asked, whipping his head up a little too fast, grimacing as the room spun around him.  
  
"She's with a coven in England, beginning her recovery."  
  
Snape nodded slowly, willing the spinning to stop.  
  
"How is Dawn?"  
  
Giles smiled briefly. "She's fine. She held her own."  
  
Snape nodded again.  
  
"Another apocalypse diverted, though this one had a higher price than most," Giles said, laughing humorlessly.  
  
He looked at Snape, who had his eyes closed and one hand pressed to his forehead.  
  
"I wanted to tell you in person. She would have wanted you to know the full story."  
  
Snape just stared at the floor.  
  
Giles turned to leave. Just as he stepped through the door, he heard the Professor's voice from behind him.  
  
"Thank you," Snape said softly.  
  
Giles left the room, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Snape immediately reached over and grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey.  
  
He held it up in the air, toasting the fates who kept changing the rules on him, before downing a quarter of the bottle in one swallow. Setting it down on the floor, he laid back down on the sofa and shut his eyes.  
  
"So this is what the end of the world feels like," he said to no one in particular.  
  
THE END 


End file.
